Keeping active
Depending on your situation, keeping active may be important for your recovery.
If you are encouraged to stay active, there are steps you can take to do so within the hospital:
- Where possible, sit out of bed – particularly when eating your meals.
- Nursing staff will encourage you to wash and dress yourself.
- Change your position regularly. Stand up for a minute or so if you can.
- Walk to the bathroom if you can.
Exercising can help improve strength and movement. For every exercise, make sure you sit up straight in a chair. If possible, sit away from the back of the chair and have your feet flat on the floor. If you are able, try to exercise every day.
- Make sure the chair you use is sturdy.
- If you have chest pain, feel dizzy or are short of breath, stop and inform staff.
- A slight soreness the day after exercise is quite normal.
Falls
Hospital staff will try to identify patients who may be at greater risk of falls.
Slips, trips and falls are common. Despite our best efforts, it is not always possible to prevent them, and sometimes patients will have a fall while they are in hospital.
It is extremely important that you follow advice given to you by our staff, as our hospital environment is not as familiar to you as your own home.
Make sure you let staff know if you are worried about falling or have recently fallen at home.
Patients at higher risk of falling
Patients may be at higher risk of falls in hospital for a number of reasons, including:
- a recent history of falls, general weakness or balance problems
- sudden change in health or side effects of medication
- confusion, cognitive impairment and reduced safety awareness
- unfamiliar surroundings, lighting and flooring
- visual impairment
- unsuitable footwear and poor foot health
Our staff will carry out a falls risk assessment for all patients and implement interventions to reduce the risk as appropriate.
We aim to make the hospital environment as safe as possible. We will involve patients and their carers to promote safety for those patients identified as being at risk of falls. Following assessment, if you are considered to be at high risk of falls, we may consider a higher level of supervision.
What you can do to reduce the risk of falls
There are a number of measures you can take to reduce your risk of falling:
- Bring your glasses and/or hearing aids with you. Speak to a member of staff if you are worried about your vision and/or hearing.
- Follow the mobility advice you have been given and always use your walking aid. Get up slowly from the bed and chair and try not to rush when you are walking. If you feel weak, unsteady or lightheaded, sit down and call for assistance. Position your walking aid within easy reach.
- Where possible, keep active and keep moving. If you are lying in bed or sitting for long spells, your legs may be weak when you stand up.
- Bring your own clothing and suitable footwear with a good grip to hospital. Avoid backless slippers or clothing that may be a trip or slip hazard.
- Eating well and drinking plenty of water is important to your recovery. Let staff know if you have any specific dietary needs. If you are able, it is always better if you can sit out of bed to eat your meals.
- If you need to use the toilet, call for assistance if you are unsteady, require help, are drowsy or dizzy. Try to use the bathroom before you go to bed at night. While we may need to stay with you in the bathroom, your dignity will always be a priority.
- You should be comfortable sitting in your chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor. If you are able, we will encourage you to sit out of bed as this can benefit your recovery.
- Ensure your nurse call bell and your belongings are within reach to avoid overstretching. If you require assistance to move around, always use the nurse call bell before standing up.
- Bedside tables have wheels and move easily. Avoid leaning or resting your head on the table or using it as a support when walking. The table should be positioned so that your belongings are within easy reach.
- Put the light on if you are moving around at night.
Nurse call buzzer system
The nurse call buzzer system is a simple and important tool that will allow you to quickly and easily call for help from nursing staff.
By pressing the buzzer you can alert nurses if you need assistance – whether it’s for medical attention, help getting out of bed, or any other concern.
When you press the button, a signal is sent to the nurses’ station and a staff member will respond as soon as possible. Please don’t hesitate to use the call buzzer whenever you need support.
Our staff should ensure that your nurse call buzzer is within easy reach. Please let them know if you don’t have access or are unable to use the buzzer.
Our Stroke Unit at Crosshouse Hospital uses a wristband buzzer. This supports your rehabilitation and movement around the ward.
Ward staff will prioritise the order of response to buzzers in times of increased ward activity. We will aim to respond as soon as possible – your safety and comfort are our priority.