Quality and Patient Safety

Patient Safety – You’re your best expert

Everyone at Ross Memorial Hospital is committed to providing the best care we can in a safe manner. We work together as a team and you are an important member of that team.

The hospital has a Patient Safety program in place to identify risks to our patients and then act on them. We encourage you and your family to do the same. Talk to your health care team about what risks could affect you, and learn how to avoid them. Our health care providers are open to your questions and concerns about your care.

Three Big Risks to Safety

Three of the most common risks for patients involve medicines, falls and infections.
You can help lower your risk by following these tips:

Medicines

Tell your health care provider about any allergies or bad reactions to medicines you may have had
Know what medicines you are on (name, strength, and how often) and why (include non-prescription medicines such as Tylenol, vitamins or herbal products)
Make sure your health care provider identifies you correctly before giving you any medicine
Ask what the medicine is and its purpose
Ask questions if the medicine looks different
Ask for a list of all the medicines you are supposed to be on when you’re discharged
Talk about any questions or concerns about your medicine (how to know if it’s working, side effects, how long you’ll take it)
While in hospital, don’t take medicine you brought from home until it’s approved by your doctor

Falls

Make sure you can reach the call bell if you are in your bed, a chair, or the bathroom, should you need to ring for help
Make sure you ask for help if you need it to use the bathroom or sit/stand up
Wear slippers with non-skid soles that fit properly
Some medicines can make you sleepy or dizzy — know how they affect you
Make sure staff use a transfer belt, placed securely around your waist, to help you up and for walking

Infections

Proper hand-washing is the best way to prevent infections
Make sure you, your family members and visitors all wash your hands before entering and leaving your room
Ask your health care providers if they have washed their hands before providing your care
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it in the garbage, then immediately wash your hands
If you have a prescription for antibiotics, finish all of it, even if you’re feeling better

Your Healthcare – Be Involved

Understanding Isolation

For information on long-term care wait lists, visit Ontario Health atHome's website.

We want you, your family and visitors to have a positive experience while at the Ross Memorial Hospital. To ensure we’re achieving this goal, we measure our patients’ satisfaction.

Patient Bill of Rights

In order to ensure our patients are getting the care they need when and where they need it, we work in close partnership with other community services. By integrating our programs, we can better serve our patients’ needs.