Why families need a hospital passport

When someone with dementia goes into hospital, staff often do not have the full picture. They do not know what medication the person takes, what their allergies are, how they show pain, or what calms them down.

As a result, families explain the same things over and over to every new nurse, while exhausted and frightened. This hospital passport fixes that. The most critical information sits on page one, so an A&E nurse can find it in sixty seconds. For wider support, Carers UK also offers free guidance during a hospital stay.

What the hospital passport includes

The passport works as one calm system. First, a one-page Emergency Summary with name, photo, date of birth, NHS number, critical alerts (allergies, blood thinners, pacemaker, DNACPR), conditions, medication, and emergency contacts.

Then an About Me and My Care grid covering communication, pain signals, what helps me feel calm, eating, drinking, mobility, continence, memory, skin, and breathing.

After that, a Legal and Decision Making page covering the Mental Capacity Act, Lasting Power of Attorney, Court of Protection Deputy, DoLS, and advance care plan location. Then a Background page for religion, beliefs, language, identity, last three admissions, and completion details. Finally, a warm closing message asking the team to keep the passport near the bed and return it on discharge.

How to use the passport

First, fill in the Emergency Summary while life feels calm. Then update it any time medication or contacts change. Next, keep a printed copy in a clear plastic wallet at home. After that, take it to every hospital admission. Finally, hand it to the first nurse and ask them to keep it near the bed.

Who this is for

This passport is for adult children whose parent has dementia and is starting to have hospital admissions. It is also for spouses caring for a partner with complex needs. Equally, it works for any family carer who has watched a relative struggle to be understood on a busy ward. In short, anyone who wants their loved one seen as a whole person, not a list of symptoms.