The Staying Connected initiative will provide daily newspapers to patients on medical wards at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH), helping them stay mentally active, connected to the outside world and engaged during their hospital stay. 

For many patients - particularly older adults - reading the newspaper is a familiar daily routine that provides comfort, stimulates conversation and keeps them connected with current events. By reintroducing this simple activity into the hospital environment, the initiative aims to improve patients' wellbeing during extended admissions. 

Hospital stays can be long, isolating and mentally unstimulating, particularly for older patients. 

Many people spend much of the day alone, with limited opportunities to engage in meaningful activities that keep their minds active and maintain a sense of normality. Research has shown that this lack of cognitive stimulation can contribute to confusion, loss of independence and declining wellbeing during hospitalisation. 

For many patients, reading the morning newspaper is more than simply catching up on the news – it’s a familiar routine that helps orient them to the day, keeps them connected with the world beyond the hospital and provides a welcome distraction during long periods without visitors or clinical care. Newspapers also encourage conversation with family, staff and other patients, helping reduce feelings of isolation. 

As more information and entertainment move online, many older patients are unable to access digital news through hospital bring-your-own-device systems, leaving them without a simple way to continue this everyday habit. The Staying Connected initiative restores that opportunity.  

By providing daily newspapers to patients who value them, the project aims to support cognitive engagement, preserve familiar routines and make hospital stays feel less isolating. It is a small intervention with the potential to improve comfort, wellbeing and the overall patient experience during recovery.