Donation protected
A hospital can be a daunting place full of uncertainty, isolation and confusion for people with deafblindness, dual sensory impairment, deafness, blindness, vision loss and hearing loss. Research shows that people with sensory impairment have high rates of communication failure in hospitals which furthers the unsafety they feel when in the healthcare setting.
But its not a big problem, is it?
Two thirds of Australians over 60 will suffer hearing loss. One third will have vision loss and some will have both. The benefits of better communication in hospitals include:
- Shorter stays in hospital,
- Fewer re-admissions,
- Reduced emergency visits,
- Greater treatment and follow up compliance, and
- Improved health care outcomes.
How can this be changed?
We have produced a brightly coloured silicone wristband with choices of wording for people with sensory impairments to wear when going to hospital. The wristbands are wide and orange with thick blue wording. These wristbands allow healthcare staff to identify and assist people needing help with communication when in hospital so as to not further isolate those needing medical help who are hindered by their impairment.
Wordings currently available are: ‘I have a vision impairment’, ‘I have vision loss’, ‘I have a hearing impairment’, ‘I have hearing loss’, ‘I am deafblind’, ‘I am deaf-Auslan’.
Our goal:
We want to educate healthcare staff on the various sensory impairments that they may come into contact with daily and ensure the patient is adequately communicated with and cared for.
What’s next:
We want to increase the wording options as individual preferences vary. Some examples are: ‘I have dual sensory impairment’, ‘I have a cochlear implant – no MRI’.
Cost to us:
There is a one off $50 mould making charge and the wristbands cost AUD$2.15 (including GST and postage from supplier).
Our Fundraising Goal and How you can help:
We have four events we would like to supply wristbands to:
Deafblind International World Conference, 12-16 August 2019, Gold Coast
500 attendees (professionals and researchers) x six wordings = 3,000 wristbands
Better Hearing Australia Expo
250 x “I have hearing loss” + 250 x “I have a hearing impairment” = 500 wristbands
Deafblind Camp
200 x “I am deafblind” = 200 wristbands
Maintain stock in hand for all organisations and people to request
100 x six wordings = 600 wristbands
TOTAL = 4,300 wristbands
And so our fundraising goal is $9,245 (4,300 x $2.15)
Any money raised that surpasses our goal will be used to expand the wristband wording mould options.
About me:
My name is Annmaree Yee. I have thirty years of professional experience caring for patients with sensory impairments who have been poorly served in hospital. I have also lived with lifelong deafness and later life blindness. At present I am doing a PHD in hospital experiences. The negative events that patients are telling me about, and my own lived experience as a person with lifelong deafness and later life blindness is what drives this project, along with the desire to improve access to the healthcare system for all.
But its not a big problem, is it?
Two thirds of Australians over 60 will suffer hearing loss. One third will have vision loss and some will have both. The benefits of better communication in hospitals include:
- Shorter stays in hospital,
- Fewer re-admissions,
- Reduced emergency visits,
- Greater treatment and follow up compliance, and
- Improved health care outcomes.
How can this be changed?
We have produced a brightly coloured silicone wristband with choices of wording for people with sensory impairments to wear when going to hospital. The wristbands are wide and orange with thick blue wording. These wristbands allow healthcare staff to identify and assist people needing help with communication when in hospital so as to not further isolate those needing medical help who are hindered by their impairment.
Wordings currently available are: ‘I have a vision impairment’, ‘I have vision loss’, ‘I have a hearing impairment’, ‘I have hearing loss’, ‘I am deafblind’, ‘I am deaf-Auslan’.
Our goal:
We want to educate healthcare staff on the various sensory impairments that they may come into contact with daily and ensure the patient is adequately communicated with and cared for.
What’s next:
We want to increase the wording options as individual preferences vary. Some examples are: ‘I have dual sensory impairment’, ‘I have a cochlear implant – no MRI’.
Cost to us:
There is a one off $50 mould making charge and the wristbands cost AUD$2.15 (including GST and postage from supplier).
Our Fundraising Goal and How you can help:
We have four events we would like to supply wristbands to:
Deafblind International World Conference, 12-16 August 2019, Gold Coast
500 attendees (professionals and researchers) x six wordings = 3,000 wristbands
Better Hearing Australia Expo
250 x “I have hearing loss” + 250 x “I have a hearing impairment” = 500 wristbands
Deafblind Camp
200 x “I am deafblind” = 200 wristbands
Maintain stock in hand for all organisations and people to request
100 x six wordings = 600 wristbands
TOTAL = 4,300 wristbands
And so our fundraising goal is $9,245 (4,300 x $2.15)
Any money raised that surpasses our goal will be used to expand the wristband wording mould options.
About me:
My name is Annmaree Yee. I have thirty years of professional experience caring for patients with sensory impairments who have been poorly served in hospital. I have also lived with lifelong deafness and later life blindness. At present I am doing a PHD in hospital experiences. The negative events that patients are telling me about, and my own lived experience as a person with lifelong deafness and later life blindness is what drives this project, along with the desire to improve access to the healthcare system for all.
Organizer
Annmaree Yee
Organizer
Haymarket, NSW