← Back to Module 5
Module 5 of 8
Screen 1 of 9Introduction
Module 5 · Patient Safety

Vision & Hearing

Your eyes and ears do more than you think — they help keep you balanced. When either is reduced, your fall risk goes up.

💡
Balance uses three systems at once
Your vision, your inner ear, and the feeling in your feet all work together. Reduce any one of them and staying upright becomes harder.

What you will learn

👓
Vision and balance
How your eyes affect your stability
🕶️
Wearing your glasses
Why this matters every day in hospital
👂
Hearing and awareness
How hearing loss increases your risk
🌙
Getting around at night
Staying safe when the lights are low
1 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 2 of 9Vision and Balance
👓
Topic 1 of 4
Vision and Balance
🔑
Your eyes are always helping you balance
Even when standing still, your brain uses what your eyes see to make tiny adjustments and keep you upright.
📐
Depth perception
Your eyes judge distances — steps, door frames, and furniture edges. Poor vision makes these harder to judge accurately.
🌫️
Blurred vision
Illness, some medications, and eye conditions can all blur your vision temporarily — even if your eyesight is usually fine.
💡
Lighting matters
Even good eyes need good light. Dim corridors and dark rooms reduce what your brain can use to stay balanced.
🔄
Unfamiliar surroundings
At home, your brain knows the layout. In hospital, everything is new — your eyes have to work harder to map the space.
⚠️
Vision problems are easy to underestimate
You may not realise how much your vision is helping you until it is reduced. Tell your nurse if your vision feels different from usual.
2 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 3 of 9Wearing Your Glasses
🕶️
Topic 2 of 4
Wearing Your Glasses
🚨
Not wearing glasses is a fall risk
Research consistently shows that patients who do not wear their prescribed glasses in hospital have significantly higher fall rates.
  1. 1
    Wear them all the time
    Not just for reading. Put them on when you get up and keep them on until you go to sleep.
  2. 2
    Keep them within reach at night
    On your bedside table — not in a bag or drawer. You need to be able to find them quickly if you get up at night.
  3. 3
    Tell your nurse if they are missing or broken
    Without your glasses you are at higher risk. Staff need to know so they can provide extra support when you move around.
  4. 4
    Clean them regularly
    Smudged or dirty glasses blur your vision almost as much as not wearing them at all. Ask a family member to bring a cleaning cloth.
💡
Same rule for contact lenses
If you wear contacts, discuss with your nurse whether it is safe to keep wearing them during your stay. In many cases, glasses are the safer option in hospital.
3 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 4 of 9Hearing and Awareness
👂
Topic 3 of 4
Hearing and Awareness
🔑
Your inner ear controls your balance
The same organ you use to hear also helps you stay upright. Hearing loss — and wearing hearing aids — affects your balance more than most people realise.
🌀
The inner ear connection
Your inner ear senses movement and position. Damage or infection here directly affects your balance — not just your hearing.
🔊
Missing sounds is risky
Without hearing clearly, you may miss a staff member calling to you, an alarm, or the sound of something in your path.
🧠
Your brain has to work harder
When hearing is difficult, your brain uses extra effort just to follow what is happening around you — leaving less attention for balance and staying steady.
🔋
Keep hearing aids charged
A hearing aid with a flat battery is the same as not wearing one. Ask family to bring spare batteries or a charger.
👂
Wear your hearing aid in hospital
Put it in when you wake up and keep it in all day. At night, store it on your bedside table so it is easy to find quickly.
4 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 5 of 9Getting Around at Night
🌙
Topic 4 of 4
Getting Around at Night
⚠️
Night-time removes your main safety system
In the dark, your brain loses much of the visual information it uses to keep you balanced. This is when falls are most likely.
  1. 1
    Light on before you move — every time
    Reach for your bedside light before you do anything else. Never get up in the dark.
  2. 2
    Glasses and hearing aid within reach
    On the bedside table, not in a bag. You should be able to reach them without getting out of bed.
  3. 3
    Know the route before you sleep
    Check the path to the bathroom while the lights are still on. Note where the furniture is and where the grab rails are.
  4. 4
    Press your call button — do not guess in the dark
    A nurse will walk you to the bathroom. It is never a bother. It is always safer than going alone in the dark.
💡
A night light helps enormously
Ask your nurse if a small night light can be left on. Even a low level of light gives your brain enough information to significantly improve your balance.
5 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 6 of 9True or False?

True or False?

Common beliefs — and what the evidence says.

✗ False
"I only need my glasses for reading — not for walking around."
✓ True
Your glasses correct your distance vision too. Without them, depth perception and spatial awareness are reduced — making steps, furniture, and uneven surfaces harder to judge.
✗ False
"Hearing loss only affects communication — not balance."
✓ True
Your inner ear controls both hearing and balance. Even mild hearing loss increases fall risk. Wearing your hearing aid in hospital is a direct safety measure.
✗ False
"I know my way around now — I do not need to turn a light on at night."
✓ True
Familiarity does not replace light. In the dark, your brain loses the visual information it needs to help you balance — regardless of how well you know the room.
✗ False
"My vision and hearing are fine at home, so hospital will be the same."
✓ True
Hospital is an unfamiliar environment with different lighting, new obstacles, and an unwell body. The same vision and hearing that are fine at home have to work much harder here.
6 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 7 of 9Your Actions
Your Safety Habits
Tick each one as you commit to it
✓
Wear my glasses all day — not just for reading
Put them on when I get up and keep them on.
✓
Keep glasses and hearing aid on my bedside table
Within reach at all times — especially at night.
✓
Turn on my light before I get up at night
Every single time. No exceptions.
✓
Tell my nurse if my glasses are missing or broken
So they can provide extra support when I move around.
✓
Press my call button for night-time bathroom trips
Never navigate in the dark alone.
0 of 5 ticked
7 of 9
Module 5 of 8
Screen 8 of 9Quick Quiz
🧠
Quick Quiz
5 questions — tap the best answer
Question 1 of 5 Score: 0
Module 5 of 8
Screen 9 of 9Complete
🏅
Module 5 Complete!

You now know how vision and hearing affect your balance, why wearing your glasses and hearing aid matters, and how to stay safe when the lights are low.

4
Topics
0
Habits ticked
—
Quiz score

This module supports your clinical care. Always speak with your nurse or doctor if you have concerns.

9 of 9