Tuesday

Working With People That Are Losing Their Hearing

By Rey Vetangelo


It is very likely that you have been exposed to various individuals of varying levels of deafness throughout your life. These individuals, in addition to the culture of their homes are able to participate in their own culture that has a separate language, and customs that are amazing and unique from all other cultures in the world.

Home modification for seniors is an extremely common occurrence as it allows individuals and aging couples to remain living in their own home instead of having to move into an assisted living home to help them perform their daily tasks. As age begins to interfere with the daily lives of the seniors living independently, it becomes apparent that changes are needed, but what specific changes or modifications to the home can be done to improve the quality of live for those living within the home?

This culture is particularly important for individuals who were born deaf, or became deaf at a young age. For individuals who lose their hearing later in life, this type of understanding is more difficult to achieve because they spent most of their lives in a very different community with different values and understandings.

As decreased mobility is often one of the major limitations that the elderly suffer from, alterations to the home that help improve the owner's mobility can begin to be considered early on. Such modifications as stair climbers that transport people up and down stairs or increasing the width of doorways in the home to allow for wheelchairs or motorized scooters to pass through are two modifications that can instantly help with mobility.

As you talk, you should be sure that your mouth is not obstructed and that you are annunciating as well as you can. This way, you can make the process of hearing and interpreting what you are saying much easier for someone that cannot depend solely on his or her ears to hear.

Cochlear implants consist of a few essential parts. First, a microphone that picks up sound from the world. Second, a processor which is used to distinguish sounds from one another. Third, a transmitter that takes the data from the processor and converts it to electrical impulses. Fourth, an electrode array that stimulates the auditory nerve to create the sensation of sound. This does not, in fact, replicate normal hearing, but it does create the ability for an individual to experience a representation of sound.

Unlike hearing aids which simply amplify sound, and are completely ineffective for individuals with complete deafness, Cochlear implants are used to bypass the damaged portions of the ear by completing their purpose. In that way, cochlear implants act as a replacement for damaged portions of the ear.

One's home is an extremely difficult thing to part with, and this difficulty only becomes deeper as one ages within the home.

Other useful tools for deaf individuals include captioning telephones and captioned call service. With these products and services, deaf individuals can use phones and make calls without the need for an interpreter. Either way, this is a wonderful tool.




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