Are you coming to hospital for rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation programs aim to enable the highest level of independence (physically, psychologically and socially) to people with loss of function or ability due to injury, disease or following surgery. At the time of admission into the rehabilitation program the patient has a Functional Independence Measure (FIM) rating conducted by a qualified member of the rehabilitation team. The FIM is redone during, and at the end of the program, to determine the patient’s functional improvement, and therefore, the level of independence gained in activities of daily living. Progress in the areas of social interaction and psychological wellbeing is also measured. The FIM is the industry standardised functional assessment tool that is used by all Ramsay rehabilitation hospitals to measure this information. A higher score indicates that the patient has achieved a higher level of improvement in all the areas being measured. Ramsay rehabilitation hospitals have achieved higher than industry average scores for functional improvement.

What Ramsay Health Care does to reduce your hygiene and infection risks

Ramsay Health Care has a programs in place to detect and prevent infections that are common within health care hospitals. Visitors to Ramsay hospitals are encouraged through appropriate signage to use antiseptic hand rub located throughout our hospitals.

What you can do to reduce your hygiene and infection risks

There are several ways you can assist in preventing an infection:

• Always wash your hands after using the toilet, bedpan or a commode
• Wash or clean your hands before eating
• Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or staff caring for you, if they have washed their hands
• Avoid touching your wound or devices (for example fluid tubes into your arm or drain tubes)
• Let the care staff know if your wound or areas around any of the lines or tubes become red or swollen or painful
• Discourage visitors who may be feeling unwell
• Stop smoking before any surgery, as smoking increases the risk of infection

Hygiene indicators

One of the most effective ways to prevent infection spreading amongst patients is for all health professionals to wash their hands. Hand hygiene is conducted in accordance with the ‘five moments’ that is; before touching a patient; before a procedure; after a procedure; after touching a patient; and after touching a patient’s environment.

Ramsay Health Care participates in the national hand hygiene strategy through Hand Hygiene Australia, and Hand hygiene audits are conducted three times per year.

Hand hygiene compliance is reported as the percentage of correct moments from all observed moments.

What Ramsay Health Care does to reduce your falls risk

In 2015, Ramsay Health Care increased the focus on falls prevention in hospitals by appointing a National Falls Prevention Advisory Group. This group has standardised the approach to falls prevention across all Ramsay hospitals by targeting a structured risk assessment, policy and guidelines, equipment for falls prevention and clinical staff education.

Our hospitals use a number of strategies to prevent falls and these include: targeted hourly rounding of patients identified as high risk of falling; ensuring that call bells and personal items are within patient reach; call bells are answered promptly, and patients are assisted to the toilet at regular intervals. In addition, Ramsay Health Care has purchased low beds, falls mats, and patient alarms to minimise the risk of patients falling whilst in our hospitals.

What you can do to reduce your falls risk

Falls can be a major cause of injury. We want to protect you from a fall during your hospital stay and you can help by:

• Becoming familiar with your surroundings
• Get to know how the bed controls work and how to use the call bell – if you cannot reach it, ask your nurse to move it within your reach
• If you need help, use the call bell to alert staff
• Wear supportive, flat, non-slip shoes – do not walk around in socks or pressure stockings (TED stockings)
• If you use glasses, hearing aids, a walking stick or walker, keep them in easy reach by the bedside, use the call bell to ask staff to assist you
• Make sure your bed height is appropriate for you to get in and out of – if your bed is too high ask the nurse to adjust it for you

Falls indicators

Falls indicators are reported as a percentage of all patient days during the period. Ramsay Health Care participates in the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Clinical Indicator Program and use their definitions for these indicators. The indicators are calculated by dividing the number of inpatient falls that meet the indicator criteria by number of days for all patients who were admitted.