AARP, the nation’s largest organization for people age fifty and older, has illustrated an inpatient hospital room focused on patient safety, identifying 16 features used by innovative hospitals around the country.
These features include:
- Double-sided linen closets to allow staff to restock supplies without entering the patient’s room, limiting the spread of infection and allowing the patient to rest undisturbed
- Bar codes on medications and the patient wristband to avoid medication mix-ups
- Two-bin supply system to have backup supplies available in an emergency
- Handwashing stations in every room, and near the patient’s bed, to provide a convenient location for caregivers to wash their hands
- Sliding glass door with a whiteboard to facilitate communication between patients, providers, and family members
- Grab bars all around the bathroom to help patients move about safely
- Bed alarms that alert nurses when a patient attempts to get out of bed unassisted
- Disinfecting device that uses ultraviolet light to help prevent common hospital-acquired infections
- Checklists, or sets of common guidelines, for preventing or reducing infection from certain hospital procedures
- Advanced ventilation systems to draw air from contagious patients’ rooms and release it from the building
- “Smart” pumps to precisely control the rates of fluids, medications, and nutrients delivered to a patient
- Fall prevention kits, including color-coded nonslip socks, lap blanket, and a wristband for at-risk patients that need help with mobility
- Germ-resistant copper alloys for frequently-touched surfaces such as IV poles, bed rails, and faucets
- Motion sensors (infrared technology) at the sink to remind providers to wash their hands when they enter a room
- Translation technology near a patient’s bed to help staff communicate with all patients
- Real-time vital signs — such as heart rate and blood pressure — that can be monitored from computers outside the patient’s room
Source: “Explore Hospital Features That Will Keep You Safe” by Beth Howard, AARP The Magazine, April/May 2013.
