Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

Caring for hard of hearing residents

Understanding Hearing Loss

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

Hearing loss can lead to:

falls and accidents

confusion

changes in speech patterns

misdiagnosis (example- diagnosed with

dementia, when hearing loss is really the

problem

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

• difficulty communicating with others

• decrease in functioning

• loss of independence

• social isolation

• embarrassment

Hearing loss can also lead to:

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

Hearing aids

• Cannot make hearing 100 percent normal, but they help.

• It can take time for people to adjust to wearing and using a hearing aid.

• If a resident has a hearing aid, encourage him or her to use it.

• Make sure batteries are fresh.

• Report to the nurse if the resident has problems using the hearing aid.

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

Other hearing devices

We have come a long way in finding ways to help people with hearing loss to communicate:

EXAMPLES:

• Telephone amplifiers

• Telephone services (example: with TEXT TELEPHONE, caller’s speech appears on a screen)

• Assistive listening devices (amplify desired sounds but limit background noise)

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

Other ways to communicate

•American Sign Language (ASL)

•Communication boards

•simple (dry erase)

•more hi tech (computerized)

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

Tips for caregivers

Gently get the resident’s attention.

Approach from the front, to avoid startling the resident.

Move to a quiet location.

Position yourself in the resident’s line of vision.

Use a deeper pitch voice if possible.(high pitched sounds are first to be lost)

Nursing Assistant Monthly JULY 2007 Hearing loss

More tips

• Do not shout.

• Speak clearly but do not exaggerate words.

(This makes lip reading difficult.)

• If the resident has a “good ear” move to that side.

• Watch your body language.

(Hard of hearing people are often very tuned in to

visual cues.)

• Encourage residents to connect with others.