For rehab or hospital Settings:
A person who is blind has entered your facility. How can you help?
Intake:
• Ask if the patient has usable vision, and ask how you can best assist.
• Although some blind people are also hearing impaired, most are not. Speak in a normal tone of voice unless asked to speak louder!
• Offer assistance in a private space to help the patient sign in and complete forms.
• Give clear and concise location descriptions. Avoid using vague words such as here, there, or over there.
• Carefully orient the patient to the facility, particularly to spaces they will use often.
• Be sure they know how to locate their room and find the items in it, and make sure they can access their call button.
All Staff should:
• Be made aware the patient is blind or low vision.
• Announce their presence when entering the patient’s room, and let them know when they are leaving.
• Ensure the patient understands what is being done and by whom.
• Provide meal menus in an accessible format if possible, or assist the patient to make meal choices.
• Announce the arrival of in-room meals to patients. Tell them what is on the tray and where to find it, using the “clock method”. “Your meat is at one O’clock, and your green beans are at seven o’clock.”
• Orient the patient to telephone and TV controls; if necessary, mark them with tactile dots.
• Make sure the patient knows where electrical outlets are located in their room.
Activities:
• With the patient’s permission, Seat them with others in the dining or recreation room; Do not isolate them.
• Encourage the patient to participate in activities when appropriate.
• The patient may wish to bring their own large print or braille playing cards, bingo cards, or other adaptive games.
• Encourage the patient to bring their own reading materials and devices.
If visiting family members or close friends are blind or have low vision:
• Orient them to the facility, including guest bathrooms
• Assist them in finding food including purchasing in-house meals or finding the cafeteria or kitchen on the floor
• Show where to find electrical outlets for charging devices and a secure place to keep their belongings.
• Assist in procuring cots if overnight visiting is permitted.
Upon discharge:
• Make sure discharge instructions are clear, and presented in an accessible format.
• Have the social service or health unit coordinator on the floor inquire about patient’s at-home support system, make follow up appointments, and arrange for delivery of needed medications and food.
• Make sure medications are marked and dosages and instructions are clear. (Get them from places such as CVS, Wegmans, Walgreens, that provide talking labels.)
• Ask if they need assistance getting home, obtaining medications or food when they get there.