I have ADHD. Hospital can be particularly difficult for me because of waiting, inactivity, changing plans, noise, loss of routine and having to hold lots of information in my head.
I may not need all of these things. These are the ones that might help me.
Name: ______________________________ Name I like to be called: ______________________________ Date of birth: ______________________________
Someone who can help me remember or communicate, if I want them to: Name: ______________________________ Relationship: ______________________________
Waiting and staying by my bed
Long periods of sitting still or waiting without knowing when I am needed are very difficult for me.
If I need to stay near my bed for a medical reason, please tell me clearly.
If it is safe for me to move around, please tell me where I can go.
If possible, please tell me roughly what I am waiting for.
If I am allowed to step away, please tell me when I need to be back.
If staff are able to contact me when I am away from my bed, my mobile number is:
Something else that might help:
Plans and information
Please tell me clearly when the plan changes.
I may still be working from the previous plan unless somebody explicitly tells me it has changed.
Please tell me what I am waiting for next, if you know.
Written information may be much easier for me than spoken information.
Please give me a moment to process important information.
I may forget questions I wanted to ask. Please give me a moment to check my notes.
At discharge, please write down important instructions if possible.
Something else that might help:
Choices and autonomy
I find loss of control and autonomy particularly difficult.
If something is flexible, please tell me what choices I have.
If there is a rule or restriction I do not understand, explaining why can help me enormously.
If there is a safe alternative way of doing something, I may cope better if I can choose between the options.
Something else that might help:
Movement and restlessness
Movement helps me regulate myself.
If it is medically safe, please tell me where I can walk or sit when I need to move.
I may find being told simply to “sit still” or “stay there” very difficult.
At night, I may need a quiet place to sit or walk if I cannot sleep, if that is safe.
Something else that might help:
Noise, stimulation and boredom
Long periods with nothing to do can become extremely difficult for me.
I may use headphones, an iPad/tablet, puzzle books, crafts or other activities to help me cope.
I may switch between activities frequently. That is normal for me.
I may need more stimulation at some times and much less stimulation at others.
Headphones or quiet time may help when I have had too much input.
Something else that might help:
Other patients and the ward environment
I may be very sociable and talkative.
At other times I may suddenly need quiet and stop wanting to talk.
I can become very distressed by hearing or seeing other patients who are frightened, crying or in pain.
If that becomes overwhelming, closing my curtain, using headphones or having some quiet time may help.
If a calmer space is available and appropriate, it may help me to use it for a while.
If I become overwhelmed
When I am overwhelmed, it might look like:
Things that might help me:
I may become restless or pace.
I may talk more quickly or more than usual.
I may struggle to process questions.
I may become irritable or frustrated.
I may need fewer questions for a little while.
I may need somebody I trust to help me remember or communicate.
Something important that is not on this sheet
Please remember
I am not trying to be a difficult patient.
Restlessness, pacing, asking lots of questions, needing to understand why, struggling with waiting, talking a lot, forgetting information or becoming frustrated can all be part of how ADHD affects me — particularly when I am ill, exhausted or overwhelmed.
If I seem difficult, please assume I am trying to cope with a difficult environment rather than deliberately being uncooperative. Clear explanations, knowing what is expected of me and being told what choices I still have can make an enormous difference.
This sheet does not replace my medical notes or any health/hospital passport I use. It is just a quick way to explain things that might make hospital easier for me.