Healthcare Services

  • Ensure that we understand our rights, including our right to be given supports and communication tools that we require for effective communication during a hospital stay
  • Obtain reliable admission information from us or from a person that we have delegated to provide this information on our behalf
  • Include relevant information about our preferred communication methods, and our communication access needs in terms of understanding spoken language as well as having our messages accurately interpreted by my healthcare team
  • Obtain information about procedures to obtain our informed consent to treatment, advance care directives and other health law documents
  • Provide extra time to accommodate our reduced rate of communication
  • If necessary, provide communication methods and trained assistants to ensure we understand and can accurately communicate about consent to treatment, capacity assessments, appointment of substitute or supportive decision makers, advance care and end-of life directives
  • Identify the need for a Speech-Language Pathology referral to assist us if we require additional communication methods and supports
  • Anticipate, monitor, and adjust our communication needs during the course of treatment due to changes in our stamina, alertness, physical positioning etc.
  • Obtain information on whether we need assistance with reading, understanding and completing healthcare written forms and documents
  • Ensure we can access nurse call bells and alert systems
  • If services involve telephone use, give us other ways to contact you such as text, email and SMS
  • Make sure your signs are easy to understand and are at a level that can be seen by those of us who use wheelchairs