What's That? Family CARE Grant Helps Patients Hear Better
Published Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Patient Flow Coordinators Judy Martinsen and Shawn Agostino at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre showcase one of the new pocketalker devices, made possible through donor support of the Family CARE Grant Program.
It's hard to be involved in your own healthcare if you can't hear everything your doctor says. Family can help, but if the doctor comes into the room while the family is away…
“Communication is essential to good healthcare,” said Shawn Agostino, a Patient Flow Coordinator at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “We had family members tell us, ‘Yes, the doctor was in, but Dad doesn't really know what the doctor said because he couldn't hear…'”
A device called a pocketalker allows patients to hear more clearly so that they can make informed decisions about their healthcare. The device amplifies voices while reducing other noises, making it easier to talk to their doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider.
Thanks to donor support of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation's Family CARE Grant Program, the Patient Flow Department at the Health Sciences Centre now has five upgraded units for patient use throughout the Hospital.
The Patient Flow team helps facilitate discharges home or to other healthcare facilities once they no longer need the Hospital's acute care services. Part of those arrangements include ensuring patients are clear on their follow-up treatment and recovery plan.
“If we can communicate more clearly, not only are outcomes better, but the patient experience in the Hospital is better, too,” Shawn said. “Patient care is at the forefront of what we do, and this is another way that we can improve the patient experience.”
The idea is not new – the Hospital has had pocketalkers for several years. However, the older models were aging and not as reliable. The new models also have additional features that help improve communication for patients. One of the most important upgrades to these units is that there are now two ways patients can use them.
The first way is the same as the older units: voices enter through the microphone and the sound is amplified through headphones that the patient wears. However, the new pocketalkers feature active noise cancelling, something the older models didn't have. This helps reduce background noise like chair scrapings, voices in the hallways, and other unneeded noises. That means clearer, better conversations for the patient.
The second way patients can use them is brand new: a Bluetooth-like feature that pairs the pocketalker directly to certain hearing aids.
“It connects with hearing aids that have T-Coil compatibility,” Shawn said. Most newer hearing aids have T-Coil, also called Telecoil. “If the patient cannot connect by T-Coil, this new model has a tone adjustment that will take away feedback between the headphones and the hearing aid.”
Shawn said that staff in each unit in the Hospital is trained to identify when a patient might need a pocketalker and show them how to use it. Shawn said that patients and their families can feel free to ask for a pocketalker when needed.
“The difference with the new pocketalkers is night and day,” he said. “It's such a great help. Patients become more involved in their own care because they can understand better what's going on.”
The Health Sciences Foundation's Family CARE Grant Program enables staff at the Hospital to get funding for their ideas to improve patient care. CARE stands for “Care Advancements Recommended by Employees” – and the new, upgraded pocketalkers are a great example. Staff feedback identified a need for new units to replace aging equipment so that patients could hear better, understand better, and have a better Hospital experience.
Find out more including how you can support the Family CARE Program at: healthsciencesfoundation.ca/familycare
Article By: Graham Strong