There are many organisations throughout Australia that are using the A2D folder
as part of their regular hospitalisation routine.
Below are comments and reflections from just a few…
My son Steven lives in a Group Home in South East Sydney district.
I supported Steven and his Disability Support Staff to develop an A2D Folder as he is autistic and non-verbal. Communication is very difficult for Steven and he cannot communicate pain. This information and a few tips about Steven have been included in his folder. I believe that this folder will assist Nursing Staff understand Steven’s needs.
Early in 2016 Department of Family and Community Services, ADHC and South Eastern Sydney Local Health District collaborated with a number of NGO organisations in the disability sector to incorporate a hospital folder system. This system is called, “Admission 2 Discharge together” (A2D) which facilitates a smoother transition of a participant into a hospital system either an emergency admission or through the hospitalisation for a treatment.
The Windgap Foundation was a prominent partner of the A2D folder collaboration system and the Residential Services has been working towards the completion of the hospital folder project. The project is now complete and the system has been fully implemented across the residential sites.
The A2D hospital folder contains the top 5 pieces of critical information regarding a participant and a hospital support plan detailing the participant’s medical and health information and their support needs that are required during the participant’s hospital stay.
The A2D folder also enables a hospital staff to provide support to participant to have a better experience in hospital so that their admission 2 discharge goes smoothly.
Admission2Discharge is a great initiative that improves the care we as ED nurses provide to patient’s with disabilities.
It has generated greater awareness of disability management in our department and provided us with resources that we can use to help care for these patients. We have also developed great networks with the A2D team and we are grateful for their support!
The top 5 is fabulous and really helps nurses caring for these patients deliver patient centred care. This makes the patient’s stay more pleasant, in a chaotic and stimulating ED environment.
When we have a patient come in without a top 5 folder we are looking for it! I’d also love to see all nursing home patients have a top 5 folder.
My Son was recently admitted to Prince of Wales hospital as he fractured a bone in his leg. He has high support needs, is non-verbal and his meals needs to be soft as he is at risk of choking.
When I went to visit him at the hospital I noticed he had his folder with him. I saw the nurses reading the folder and I was happy about this because I knew that they would understand my Son better.
I approached Catherine from FACS to organise education towards Emergency Department(ED) nurses in regards to the A2D project. The A2D team visited the ED over a period of a couple months in late 2016 and managed to present the project to over half the ED nursing team and in late November, the A2D project team presented to the wider POW educator team demonstrating great networking. Evaluations identified how user friendly the TOP 5 steps were and nurses felt driven to improve their communication & assessment skills with people with intellectual disability. I found the team a delight to work with, motivated, enthusiastic and very engaging, it is no wonder the A2D project has so far been successful and I wish them well in future endeavours.
Team Leader Elizabeth said of a recent admission (through ED) of a man who broke his leg and has a complex nature
“ The entire experience was clear, effortless, organised and hospital staff appreciated the entire A2D together folder”Elizabeth said:
“In my opinion the folder makes it so much easier for all support persons involved (hospital and disability support staff) to follow some simple guidelines, which are clearly outlined to support the person with intellectual disability in a much more tailored and appropriate way enabling supporters make the entire hospital experience far more fulfilling for everyone involved…. I say GO the A2D Together folder”
I have worked with people with a disability for over 3 decades. In that time I have spent a good amount of time in hospitals with sick or injured people with a disability becoming increasingly distressed and agitated both by their fear and their past experiences of the hospital environment. Many of these people have had multiple hospital experiences which were unpleasant at best, horrific at worst. It is no-one’s fault; hospital staff are busy and find it hard to relate to the person with limited communication skills. Disability staff are unfamiliar with the hospital environment and are uncertain about what the hospital may need to best support the person with a disability both to optimise their care and also to build a better hospital experience.
Finally, the A2D package will address those gaps and make a real difference both for the outcomes of people with a disability and the people who support them. It is a win: win situation. A better hospital experience means that people with disability have better health outcomes and are less fearful of going to hospital but also, hospital staff are better able to meet their complex needs and are better able to support them in the hospital environment. I am confident this Project will deliver great results for all concerned!
I attended the A2D training in the Hunter. What a great tool. Easy to use, very informative and will be a great support to people with disabilities requiring admission to hospital. And just as importantly, the information will support Health professionals when providing support services within the hospital and other health settings. “Job well done team!!!!!!”