Practical and Emotional Support
Based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NESS’s Hospital Information Service offers practical and emotional support to you, your family and carers when you have been newly diagnosed with a sight and/or hearing loss.
Our Hospital Information Officer is available to sit down with you after your consultation with the Ophthalmologist, explain your diagnosis, and provide information and advice about what happens next. Everyone’s experience of sight loss is different, and everyone has individual needs. Our Hospital Information Officer will tailor their information and advice to meet your particular requirements, and can direct you to the services which can help you get on with your life.
The Hospital Information Service also works via the Audiology Clinic to provide information if you have a hearing loss. Our Hospital Information Officer can explain how to get an assessment of your support needs, provide information on living with a hearing loss and tell you where to get equipment to help you with day to day life so you can maintain your independence.
The Impact
Having someone to talk to at this very early stage has been shown to have multiple benefits to the individual. It improves people’s ability to come to terms with their diagnosis and find ways of coping, improves their health outcomes, and helps people live independently.
Clinical staff have identified this service in Aberdeen as a hugely valuable resource. The service supports patients to navigate the complex health and social care system for a seamless transition between services. It can identify patients’ needs in the clinical setting – often at the point of diagnosis – and refer them for social work assessment, mobility training, rehabilitation, equipment and other support in the community. By working with NESS’s multidisciplinary teams and connecting with other agencies, our Hospital Information Officer helps find the best of outcomes for each individual.
“I translate clinical jargon and context into clear, understandable language which the patient and their family can relate to.” Eddie Carroll – Hospital Information Officer
