Preparing for a hospital stay with hearing loss

Hospital stays can be overwhelming, especially for those with hearing loss.  Amidst the stress and noise, understanding what’s going on can be challenging.  Don’t worry, planning ahead can help make your hospital stay easier.

Before you go In

• Let the hospital staff know about your hearing loss so they can make a note in your file.

What to bring

• Hearing aids.
• Batteries or charger.
• Cleaning kit for hearing aids.
• Pen and paper or a small whiteboard.

Your role

• Speak up about your hearing loss.
• Ask people to face you when they talk, or to write things down.
• Don’t pretend to hear.  Clear communication is important for your health and medical treatment.
• If you forget your hearing aids, ask if the hospital has personal amplifiers you can use.

Tools to help you communicate

• Bring someone with you who has good hearing for important chats with the doctors.
• Keep a whiteboard or paper handy so you can write things down, especially if it’s a lot of medical jargon.
• Try apps like Live Transcribe (Android) or NALscribe (iOS) on your phone to help with speech captioning.

Bedside reminder

Download a bedside card that explains your hearing loss and what people can do to help you hear better.  You can also contact your hearing therapist for a copy.

Download Printable Bedside Card (PDF)

Contact your local hearing therapist

Unexpected hospital visits

• Inform staff of your hearing loss and use communication strategies.
• If you can, bring along a friend or family member who can speak up for you and help make sure your needs are met.

With planning and these top tips, you’ll be ready for your hospital stay.

For more information and helpful advice, visit us at yourwaykiaroha.nz/hearing