Patient Safety

Learn what you can do to help remain safe and and avoid medical complications while you are in the hospital.

As a patient, your safety is a top priority for members of your healthcare team. You can take a few simple precautions to help make sure this hospital stay is a safe one.

Learn about wristbands in the hospital and why they are important for your safety and health.

Watch how you can help reduce the risk of mistakes in your personal identification badges, medications, and treatments.

This video explains why most healthcare providers will ask for your name and birthdate a lot during your hospital stay.

Watch this video to understand why a procedure site will be marked as part of pre-op and that you must confirm it is correct.

The intensive care unit (ICU) is also sometimes called the critical care unit. Here people get constant care and are closely watched. Some hospitals may have more than one type of ICU. These may include a medical, surgical, cardiac, neurological, or pediatric ICU.

When you visit the ICU, it helps to know what to expect. Because space is limited, you may not be able to bring certain things into the ICU. Check first. Each ICU has its own rules and visiting hours. But most follow some basic guidelines.

The ICU is a busy place. There may be other people with monitors in the same unit. Be prepared to see lots of wires, tubes, and equipment. Your loved one may be asleep or unconscious.

Appoint a family spokesperson to serve as the link between the ICU team and family members. This helps protect your loved one's privacy and saves time for nurses. Also, you can help make your loved ones feel more comfortable. Talk with the nurse to find out what you can do. Your loved one may need rest most of all. And don't forget to take care of yourself, too.

This handout may help answer some of your questions about restraints. If you have any other questions or concerns, talk to the healthcare provider.

A ventilator is a machine that helps a person breathe. If someone you care about is on a ventilator, you can find some answers to your questions here.

If you are very sick or are having a surgical procedure or other treatment, you may need to spend a few days in the hospital. This sheet can help you prepare for an upcoming hospital stay and know what to expect.

Unfamiliar hospital environments, medications that may be new, having just given birth, or dealing with a medical condition that may make them weak or unsteady are all reasons why patients might be considered at risk for falling in the hospital. Learn how healthcare facilities decide if someone is a fall risk, the steps that may be taken to prevent falls and some tips that patients can follow to keep themselves safe while they are in the hospital.

Watch this to learn tips to lessen your risk for falling in the hospital.

This video explains why it's important to ask for help when getting out of bed while you are in the hospital.

When you're in the hospital, you may be in a small room with a lot of equipment. The medication you take may make you lightheaded or dizzy. You may be weak or injured. All of these things make a fall more likely. So let's learn how to stay safe.

Watch this video to learn how to prevent falls in the hospital for younger patients.

Watch this video for a checklist of how to reduce your risk of falls while in the hospital.

Watch this video to learn common precautions you can take to help prevent falls and keep you safe during your at-home recovery.

Know when to call your doctor while you continue your at-home recovery.

Heading home from the hospital soon? As you recover, you are at greater risk for falling and injuring yourself. Watch this important program to learn how to make your home a safe environment.

As you get older, you're not as steady on your feet as you once were. And you may have health problems you didn't have when you were younger. So it's not surprising that older people are more likely to trip and fall.

Is your living space filled with hazards that could cause you to fall? Changes can make you safer. They could even save your life.

A walking aid, such as a cane or walker, can help you stay more independent and prevent falls. Read on for helpful tips on using these aids.

Moving safely outside your home can be a challenge. Take care when walking up and down stairs and curbs. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes and pay attention to where you step. Here are more tips to keep you from falling.

At some point, you may need care in a hospital or other facility. People may ask how well you can move around. Answer this question honestly. If you have a high risk of falling, the staff will take extra steps to help keep you safe. Here are some tips to keep you safe in the hospital.

This injury, also called a pressure sore or bedsore, starts as an area of discoloration on the skin's surface. It can progress to form a lesion. Without proper care, a pressure ulcer can rapidly lead to a severe infection deep within the body.

See the common strategies used in the hospital for preventing pressure injuries.

When you spend long periods of time in a hospital bed, you are at risk for developing pressure ulcers. These injuries, also called pressure sores or bedsores, affect the skin and the soft tissue beneath the skin. They are caused by constant pressure.

Watch how pressure injuries are treated and monitored for possible infection.

Pressure ulcers, also called pressure sores or bedsores, are injuries that begin on the surface of the skin. They can be a problem for people who use wheelchairs, and for people who are hospitalized. Pressure ulcers start as simple sores, but they can rapidly become severely infected.

If you stay in a bed or wheelchair, or can't change position on your own, you're at risk for pressure sores. Learn more about them, and know when to call your healthcare provider.

Pressure sores can develop very quickly, even in healthy skin. Learn what you can do to help prevent them.

Learn what you can do to prevent, watch for, and help heal pressure injuries.