Health care in Canberra is usually very safe and high quality. But things can go wrong, even in the best health service. There are things you can do to prepare for a hospital stay and work with staff to keep yourself safe.
HCCA has worked with consumers in the ACT to adapt three guides for people going into hospital. These guides are designed to help you stay safe before, during, and after your stay.
They cover:
- Your rights and responsibilities
- Tips to help you prepare for your stay
- Tips on being involved in your care
- Some common safety issues and how to prevent them
- What to do when you go home
- Useful contacts
Download the booklets
*New* Easy Read Booklets
Easy Read is a simpler way of writing that supports people who have difficulty reading, including people with disabilities or people who are learning English. We have worked with the Easy Read Toolbox to translate these books into Easy Read so that more people can find out how to get ready for a hospital stay and stay safe.
- Staying Safe: Going to Hospital – Easy Read
- Staying Safe: In Hospital – Easy Read
- Staying Safe: At Home – Easy Read
These translations were funded by a Disability Inclusion Grant from the ACT Community Services Directorate.
8 Steps to keep yourself safe
These resources also include an A4 tipsheet with quick tips on staying safe in hospital. It is available in 5 languages:
Acknowledgements
These resources were adapted from Western Australian Department of Health ‘Patient First’ resources and Guy’s St Thomas NHS Foundation’s 8 steps to stay safe resource. HCCA thanks all those who contributed to these adaptations.
This work was supported by the ACT Health Directorate as part of the Community Health Literacy Project.