Download Hearing Loss

Understanding Hearing Loss
Caring for hard of hearing
residents
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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
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Hearing loss can also lead to:
• difficulty communicating with others
• decrease in functioning
• loss of independence
• social isolation
• embarrassment
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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.
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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)
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Other ways to communicate
•American
Sign Language (ASL)
•Communication
•simple
•more
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boards
(dry erase)
hi tech (computerized)
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)
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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.
Nursing Assistant Monthly
JULY 2007 Hearing loss