Patient Safety is very important for everyone at Palomar Health, and you and your loved ones play a key role in keeping you safe. You can help us avoid errors and create a safer health-care environment by remembering to “SPEAK UP” using the following actions:

S. Speak up if you have any questions about your care. If you don’t understand, ask again. Tell your nurse or doctor if something does not seem right or if you feel your condition is changing. You are our best source of information about your condition.

P. Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Ask caregivers to explain your condition, treatment, tests and medications so that you know what is going to happen. Always ask questions about things you do not understand.

E. Educate yourself. Make sure you ask questions and learn about your illness, medical tests and your plan of care.

A. Ask a trusted loved one to help you. You can have a loved one speak for you. He or she can help you remember the information you hear or to speak up for you if you cannot.

K. Know your medications. Make sure you know what medications you are taking and why you take them. If you are given a medicine you do not know, ask to make sure that it is for you before you take it.

U. Understand your care. Sometimes it is hard to understand what your health-care team is telling you about your care and treatment. Make sure you know what is happening and if you have questions about your care, ask for more information

P. Participate in your care. You are the center of your health-care team. You and your doctor should agree on what will be done during each step of your care. Do not be afraid to ask for a second opinion if it will help you feel better about the decisions you are making. Keep a list of questions you want to ask your doctor, so you or your loved one can get the information you need.

Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly.

Make sure you have washed your hands after you use the bathroom, before you eat and before you get back into bed. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the hospital.

Follow these simple steps while in the hospital and at home:

• Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Ask loved ones with symptoms like a fever, coughing or sneezing to stay home.
• Tell guests to clean their hands before and after visiting you.

Every caregiver will wash his or her hands before and after all procedures to avoid the spread of germs or infection. You can ask your caregiver to clean their hands at any time.

While in the hospital, your ability to move in and out of bed safely may be different than when you are healthy. Strength, balance and coordination may be affected by:

• Your medical condition
• New medications and treatments
• Your reduced activity level
• Procedures or medical equipment that limit your movement

Most falls happen when needing to use the bathroom. To ensure your safety, there are hand rails along the wall from your bed to the bathroom.

To keep you safe, your caregivers will:

• Create a safety plan with you
• Visit often to take care of your needs
• Keep your room free of “slip-or-trip” hazards
• When needed, help you when using the bathroom

For your protection, this building has the latest fire protection and suppression systems. The staff at Palomar Medical Center Escondido has been trained to keep you and your guests safe. If you hear an alarm or see a strobe, the Fire Department has been alerted.

Palomar Health has its own security team providing patient and visitor safety, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Security guards wear black uniforms and can be found inside and outside the hospital. In the parking lot, the columns with blue lights can connect you directly to the security officer in charge. If you would like a security guard to walk you to your car, contact Security by dialing 881-2000 from any hospital phone.