If you have a disability these are just some of things that can help wen visiting us in Hospital.
Hospital passport
The hospital passport is designed to give hospital staff helpful information that isn't only about illness and health.
Your passport can include lists of what you like or dislike. This might be about the amount of physical contact you're ok with, to your favourite type of drink, as well as your interests.
The passport helps all the hospital staff know how to make you feel comfortable.
If you go into hospital, your hospital passport should go with you. The passport tells the doctors and nurses that they should make a copy and put the copy in your hospital notes.
If you are going to be an in-patient, and stay in the hospital overnight, your hospital passport should hang on the end of your bed so that anyone treating you can take a look at it.
- Download your hospital passport as a PDF (if you would like to print it off and write on it)
- Download your hospital passport as a Word document (if you would like to type into the document on your computer)
This Is Me
'This is me' is a simple support tool to enable person-centred care for anyone receiving professional care who is living with dementia or experiencing delirium or other communication difficulties.
'This is me' can be used to record details about a person who can't easily share information about themselves. For example, it can be used to record:
- a person’s cultural and family background
- important events, people and places from their life
- their preferences and routines.
The leaflet can be used in any setting – at home, in hospital, in respite care or in a care home.
Tell staff about any communication problems
In 2016, the Accessible Information Standard was brought in for health services to help people with a disability to communicate their needs.
It's important to make sure all those involved in your care know how to communicate with you.
Hospital staff should ask you or your carer how you prefer to receive information – for example, through talking, or in easy read format.
They should make a note of your choice and let other staff know, so you get information in the right format.
If you find it hard to understand what the doctors or nurses are saying, ask for help.
Carers can help make sure that doctors and nurses know about communication and that it's written in the person's medical notes.