Helpful Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources
COVID-19 Resources for Hospitalized Patients and Families
Patients who are in the hospital right now, whether for COVID-19 or not, are at much greater risk for harm than usual. The loss of the advocate and family from the bedside, which is sadly necessary at this time to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, will result in higher rates of falls, pressure ulcers, and hospital-acquired infections, among many other safety concerns. Hospitals are working hard to put processes in place to mitigate this, but they are under a tremendous amount of stress right now. They need as much virtual assistance as possible from patients, families, and advocates. Here are some things you should do and resources that can help.
- Be involved in your own care. Patients have much better outcomes when they are actively involved in making their own care decisions, but when people are sick and can’t effectively advocate for themselves, having a friend, family, or other support person involved is critical. This is true whether we are in the midst of a pandemic or not. Here are some great resources to help you understand why this is so important.
- WHO: Patient Engagement
- WHO: Where Are the Patients in Decision-Making About Their Care?
- CARDMEDIC: CARDMEDIC is a free communication tool to allow clinicians to communicate with patients effectively through the PPE in times of COVID and beyond
- Advanced Directives and Planning Ahead:
- Death, Grief, and Funerals in the COVID-19 Age
- St. Bernard’s Hospital: Community Town Hall on COVID-19 Vaccines: In January 2021, St. Bernard Hospital in Chicago held a virtual community town hall to address concerns about the COVID-19 vaccination and encourage residents to get vaccinated when they’re eligible. The event featured informative, straightforward presentations from clinical staff and a wide-ranging question and answer session. We congratulate St. Bernard on demonstrating a high level of concern about patient safety and public education at this critical time.
- Keep track of your loved one’s plan for care at home. Schedule virtual visits with the care team, especially during physician rounds or nursing bedside handoff, and document the important information that should be reviewed each time. The resources below can be used to coordinate and document your loved one’s care from any location while visitor restrictions are in place:
- PSMF’s Guide to Medical Care at a Distance: This infographic outlines what patients, families, and advocates can do to manage a hospitalization during this pandemic.
- PSMF’s Plan of Care Blank Template: You can print out this pdf form and get the necessary information from the care team. If you use pencil, you can easily update it each day; just take pictures to keep a record!
- PSMF’s Plan of Care Example Template: Here is an example of what your completed home-based plan of care can look like.
- Tell your story. Sharing our human experiences with each other right now is critical, so we can learn from each other and grow. We have an opportunity to be better than we were before!
- PSMF’s Share Your Story: If you or a loved one is hospitalized right now and has a patient safety story to share, tell us about it!
- Practice mindfulness to better manage stress and anxiety. When caregivers and advocates can’t be present at the bedside, stress and anxiety for both hospitalized patients and their loved ones increases significantly. It is so much easier said than done to “clear your mind” and slow down, but it is more critical than ever that we be able to do this.