A hospital visit can be one of the scariest moments of a patient’s life. Often times, on top of the fear, the room is not comfortable and there are extra noises all throughout the night and day. Follow the five tips below to make your hospital as comfortable as possible for a patient’s stay.
1. Allow for Pain Management
When a patient has just completed surgery or has just entered the hospital with a significant injury or illness, he or she will be in a lot of pain and discomfort. It is important to try to ease this pain to allow for maximum comfort. If a patient is in pain, he or she will not heal as quickly or efficiently. Allow patients to be prescribed medications under your supervision to help them heal, relax and be comfortable. Gradually reduce the medications to ensure your patient’s safety along the way.
2. Limit Visitations
Encourage the patient that it is okay to limit how many visitors come to see him or her during their stay in the hospital. Having too many visitors can be overwhelming and can become stressful. This may actually impede the healing process as well as the body will be under the stress of pleasing loved ones. When visitors come, politely request that they only stay for a short time to promote the patient’s health and well-being. The patient will be appreciative in the long run for this request made on their behalf when they heal more quickly.
3. Utilize Technology to Update the Patient and Loved Ones
When considering loved ones and visitors, it is important to note that oftentimes individuals visit out of worry or concern. To ease this worry and concern, create a process in which loved ones can receive updates to the patient’s recovery. Ensure that the individuals receiving updates are only those who the patient allows to see his or her health information to maintain HIPAA code. Help the patient in setting up a recovery blog, offer a recovery and health status section on a patient portal or email the individuals the patient allows.
4. Be Accommodating
It is normal for a patient to be uptight or frustrated during their healing process; remember he or she is in a lot of pain and soreness. The patient wants to become well as quickly as you want them to become well. With this in mind, the patient may become demanding of needs for food, drinks or even entertainment options. Try to be as accommodating as possible to the patient to ensure his or her comfort during the hospital stay. This will eliminate unnecessary stress for the patient as well.
5. Make Patient Rooms as Comfortable as Possible
Allow patients to control their own privacy during their hospital stays. Allow them to use the bathroom with respect and have curtains blocking views into the room when allowed. Let patients keep their belongings to feel more secure and eliminate added stress as well.
Create comfortable room furniture as well. This could include having more comfortable room furniture and improved ability to walk around the room. Technological advancements could also be included in the room, especially for younger patients. You could have wireless pillow speakers for instance, in which patients could listen to music or hear the television more clearly.
There are many options available to make a patient’s hospital stay more comfortable. Overall, try to be as accommodating to the patient as possible. Allow them freedom from their pain and a more comfortable and acceptable room environment. All of these accommodations will limit stress for the patient, making the healing process quicker and more efficient.
