Patient Safety is Our Top Priority!
Wheaton Community Hospital and Medical Center has adopted the state wide standard for Color Coded Wristbands as recommended by the Minnesota Hospital Association Patient Safety Committee Task Force.  Alert wristbands are used in hospitals to quickly communicate a certain health care status or an "alert" that a patient may have.  This is done so every staff member can provide the best care possible, even if they do not know the patient.  The different colors have certain meanings.  It is important that the patients and families know these colors and their meanings because they are the best source of information.  There are five different colors:
Red mean Allergy Alert
If a patient has an allergy to anything:  food, medicatine, dust, grass, pet hair, ANYTHING tell the nursing staff.
Yellow means Fall Risk
We want to prevent falls at all times.  The provider and nursing staff will determine if there is a need for extra attention in order to prevcent a fall.  Sometimes, a person may become weakened during their illness or because they just had a surgery.  When a patient has this color-coded alert wristband, it indicates this person needs to be assisted when walking or they may fall.
Purple means "DNR" or Do Not Resuscitate.
Some patients have expressed an end of life wish and we want to honor that wish.
Pink means Restricted Extremity
When a patient has this color-coded wristband, the healthcare provider is saying this patient's extremity should be handled with extreme care.  Other healthcare providers are alerted to check with the nurse prior to any tests or procedures.
Green means Latex Allergy
When a patient has this color-coded wristband, it indicates an allergic reaction to latex.  This green wristband will alert the providers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals about allergies.
If there is information we do not know such as a food allergy or a tendency to lose balance and almost fall, share that with the nursing staff because we want to provide the best and safest healthcare to all of our patients.  Also patients should tell us if they have an Advance Directive.  An Advance Directive tell your provider what kind of care they would like if they become unable to make medical decisions.  We want to respect and honor a patients wishes and that is done best when we have all of the information.
As a prevention effort, WCHMC is implementing these changes to safeguard patient safety.