Senior Care for Deaf Patients
There is a difference between being deaf or hearing impaired. Someone who is deaf cannot hear at all, while a hearing impaired individual can hear to a certain degree. There are also two different types of deafness: post-lingual and pre-lingual.
A post-lingual individual lost their hearing later in life and a pre-lingual individual was either born deaf or before the individual acquired language.
There are two main hearing devices: the hearing aid which is an external, electronic device that amplifies sound to deliver to the individual, and the cochlear implant which is an electronic device surgically implanted in more severely damaged ears.
Tips on How to Communicate Effectively
The main issue when engaging with a deaf or hearing-impaired senior is being able to communicate accurately. Fortunately, there are some very helpful strategies that can be used in order to ensure effective communication with your senior loved one. When speaking with a hard of hearing
When speaking with a hard-of-hearing individual, make sure you are facing them and make eye contact while speaking clearly and normally. This allows the individual to lip-read and to use your body language (facial expressions, gestures, and postures) to understand more effectively. Visual aids and written materials also help when the patient is having a hard to understanding you, especially when they do not have any medical expertise. Providing good lighting helps the patient to see and read your lips much better, as well as minimizing the background noises.
Those with hearing aids can become overwhelmed by all the noises since hearing aids amplify all sounds and do not the natural ability to block out or focus on certain sounds. When explaining to a patient, give them time to process and respond to what you have said; it may take more time for them to fully understand everything you have conveyed. Once you have explained, make sure to have them repeat it back so you may know they heard you and understood. It is always a good idea to have an interpreter ready, most patients will not have one and their family or friends are not certified as interpreters.
A Few Problems With Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare facilities are severely lacking when it comes to handling deaf patients, communication being the main issue. The facilities fail to meet the needs of deaf patients by having an interpreter and staff that are fluent in sign language; many facilities deny access to deaf individuals due to this barrier. Patients who are admitted have inadequate treatment due to communication issues and providers having very little knowledge of the deaf individual’s needs which leads to poor care. Medical training programs fail to teach staff on how to communicate effectively with deaf patients.
One of the crucial ways to solve this problem would be to educate the medical staff and providers on how to communicate effectively and build stronger relationships between the patient and provider, so the patient receives better treatment. The National Association of the Deaf found by communicating effectively resulted in shorter stays, fewer emergency visits and readmissions, better treatment and follow-ups, fewer unnecessary test, and overall better patient satisfaction.
Federal Laws Protecting the Deaf Community
The Americans With Disabilities Act states all individuals have equal access to all federal healthcare services, on all public and private healthcare providers. So the facilities that deny access to deaf patients are violating this federal law and all facilities are required to provide their patients with interpreters if necessary. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects the rights of the deaf community by stating that all healthcare providers must provide appropriate language access to individuals who have limited English proficiency; which includes individuals with limited hearing.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects the rights of the deaf community by stating that all healthcare providers must provide appropriate language access to individuals who have limited English proficiency; which includes individuals with limited hearing.
Long-Term Care Options
Seniors who are considering long term care or end of life care should work with a social worker or a health care proxy (a document that allows to choose someone else to convey your wishes or make your decisions when you cannot) to find the best place that would suit your needs, especially if a facility has a focus on individuals who are hard of hearing. Most insurance companies will cover hearing aids, and there are many companies and programs designed to help the deaf senior community.
Researching different long-term care insurance would be a good idea, just be aware not all insurances cover all expenses. Medicare does not cover long-term care or hearing aids, but Medicaid does cover long-term care services in nursing homes and personal care as long as the patient meets the requirements.
