This video shows what you can do to avoid falling before and after your surgery or procedure.
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This video shows what you can do to avoid falling before and after your surgery or procedure.
When you check in at the presurgical center, or PSC, tell us if you’re feeling weak or having trouble walking. We’ll bring a wheelchair to help you.
Once you sit down, do not get up on your own if you feel weak or have trouble standing. Ask us for help.
Before your surgery or procedure, we’ll ask if you have fallen before, if you have trouble seeing or hearing, or if you feel weak or unsteady. We’ll also ask about the medications you take. Your answers help us know your risk of falling.
If you’re at high risk of falling, we’ll give you yellow socks and a yellow wristband to wear. These help us work together to keep you from falling. We follow certain rules to keep you safe.
You’re at higher risk of falling when you’re doing things like walking, getting dressed, or using the bathroom. To keep you safe, we’ll stay with you and help you when you do these things.
Use your call bell if you need to get out of bed for any reason. We’ll come help you.
When it’s time for your surgery or procedure, we may help you walk to the operating room, or we may take you there in a wheelchair or on your stretcher. We’ll help you onto the table and make sure you’re comfortable and secure.
After your surgery or procedure, you’ll wake up in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, or PACU, or a recovery room. We’ll help you adjust to your surroundings and make sure you can easily reach your call bell.
We’ll bring you your personal belongings. If you use glasses or hearing aids, put them back on.
Do not try to get out of bed or stand on your own. You may feel alert, but the side effects of anesthesia can make you more likely to fall. Use your call bell if you need anything.
You may need to stay in bed for a certain amount of time, depending on your surgery or procedure. We’ll help you out of bed once it’s safe. We may give you a rolling walker or cane to use or help you into a wheelchair.
If you’re going home the same day as your surgery or procedure, we’ll help you get dressed. We’ll take you to the hospital exit in a wheelchair when you’re ready to leave.
We’re here to help and keep you safe. If you have any questions about preventing falls, you can find more resources on our website. Go to www.msk.org/pe and search “falls.” You can also ask your healthcare provider for more information.
