When going into hospital, it can help to be prepared.
There is advice for people with learning disabilities on the NHS website.
Learning disability nurses
All hospitals in Essex have a dedicated Learning Disability Nurse.
They can:
- work with you, your carers, family and hospital staff to make your hospital stay better
- assist with planning before and after the appointment
- assist with providing staff
- support reasonable adjustments so your stay is easier
Ask your hospital to put you in touch with their Learning Disability Nurse ahead of your stay.
Hospital passports
One thing that can help is a hospital passport.
This is a document about you and your health needs. It can include your interests, likes, dislikes, how you communicate and any reasonable adjustments that you might need.
You can download and fill in a hospital passport template on the Essex Learning Disability Partnership website.