You will need to take some personal items when you go into hospital and there are things you need to know when you are being discharged from hospital.

Going into hospital

You will need to take:

Toiletries

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Change of nightclothes

Slippers

Clothes to wear during the day

Books

Magazines

Money

Medication

Be careful with items of value or money because thefts from patients do happen in hospitals.

Coming out of hospital

You should also take all your medicines with you (including those bought from your local chemist). Staff will check the medicines you are taking and inform your doctor if they need to stop any of your normal medicines.

Before you are discharged, the hospital should:

Make a follow-up appointment with the appropriate out-patient department Give you a telephone number to contact in case of emergencies

Give you enough medication to last until your out-patient appointment

Ensure that you can cope with your medication at home, or that you have help to do so

Give you a letter, or discharge note, to give to your GP

Hearing aids - operations

The hospital should have clear procedures to follow when dealing with deaf patients.

Before you are admitted to hospital, you should have a pre-operative assessment.  You can take someone with you to make sure you do not miss vital information.

Once you arrive on the ward, make sure that doctors and nurses are made aware of your needs.  It is important to remember that nurses work in shifts so you will need to keep reminding them of your hearing loss. 

Ask the ward sister if you can wear your hearing aid until you arrive in the theate for your operation.  You can then put your aid in a soft pouch and tape it to your gown; once you are awake after the operation you can wear your hearing aid again.

Alternatively, the ward nurse can take your hearing aid back to the ward and store it securely with the rest of your belongings.  Once you are awake, the ward nurse should be contacted to bring your hearing aid to the post-op room.

If you are a lip-reader, ask the theatre staff to remove their masks when speaking to you.

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