Free printable basic needs communication board

What's in the free file

• Page 1: the basic needs board. 20 large squares, one picture and one word in each. The top row is the answers: Yes, No, I don't know and Wait, please. The rest, row by row: Nurse, Doctor, My family, Help; Pain, Toilet, Water, Medicine; Too hot, Too cold, Tired, Blanket; Glasses, Phone call, Rest and It's something else.
• Page 2: an "about me" bedside sign to fill in and tape above the bed: "My name is", "Please call me", the person's yes and no signals, a family contact, and check boxes such as "Please ask me yes or no questions" and "Please give me time to answer". You can type the name, signals and contact before you print, then check the boxes by hand.
• Page 3: a short guide to using the board at the bedside, for family and staff.
• Sizes: US Letter and A4, as two files. Each square is about 1.7 inches wide, with large, high-contrast labels, and the pages print the same size on both papers.

Who it's for

Anyone who can't rely on speech for now and needs to ask for the basics: after a stroke, with a breathing tube or mask, after surgery on the mouth or throat, with a very sore or dry throat, with aphasia, or simply too tired to talk. Family members bring it in; nurses and aides use it too. For the first weeks after a stroke, see our guide to communication boards after a stroke.

How to print and set it up

1. Print at "Actual size" on white cardstock. Black and white is fine; the pictures read without color.
2. Laminate it or slip it into a heavy sheet protector so it can be wiped. Ask the nurse how they'd like it cleaned.
3. Print two. One lives on the bed and one stays with you, so a spare is ready when one goes missing in the sheets.
4. Clip it to the bed rail or the over-bed table on the side of the hand that works best. A clipboard keeps it flat.
5. Fill in the "about me" sign and tape it above the bed or on the whiteboard, where every new staff member sees it.
6. Put glasses and hearing aids within reach. A board is hard to use without them.
7. For an isolation room, ask whether a paper copy can stay in the room and be thrown away at discharge.

How to use it at the bedside

1. Hold the board about a foot from the person's face, in good light.
2. Point as you ask. "Are you in pain?" while touching "pain".
3. One yes or no question at a time. Then wait.
4. Check back: "Water? Yes? I'll tell the nurse." Point to their answer as you say it.
5. For pain, ask where, then how much. Ask them to point to where it hurts on their body, then show how much on the care team's pain scale, or write 0 to 10 on paper.
6. If pointing is hard, use partner-assisted scanning: agree on a "yes" signal (a nod, blink or thumbs up), point to each row in turn, watch for the signal, then go square by square along that row.
7. Show each new nurse or aide the board at shift change if you're there.

If someone can't use the board well today, try again later, and mention any change you notice to the nurse.

For outings after a hospital stay, someone with aphasia can carry a wallet card that tells a stranger to give them time: see our free aphasia card.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my own communication board to the hospital?

Yes. Tell the nurse you've brought it, ask where they'd like it kept, and ask if it can be added to the care notes so each shift knows to use it.

What should a hospital communication board include?

Yes and no, a way to call the nurse, pain, toilet, water, too hot and too cold, family, and a square for "something else". A body outline for pain and an alphabet page help if you have room for more pages.

How do you communicate with someone on a breathing tube?

Many hospitals use picture boards, alphabet boards and writing, along with yes and no signals. Ask the nurse or the speech-language pathologist on the unit what the team already uses, and bring your board to that conversation.

Is this board available in Spanish or other languages?

Ours is English only for now. The PPC Network (patientprovidercommunication.org) and the University of North Carolina share free bilingual and multilingual hospital boards.

Can I use it at home too?

Yes. The same board works on the fridge or a bedside table at home. For a fuller home set, see communication boards for adults, and for the first weeks after a stroke, our stroke communication board guide.