HEARING LOSS WRECKS EASY & EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION WHEN A HEARING LOSS IS PRESENT, THE PERSON WHO HAS A HEARING LOSS NEEDS TO OBTAIN AND WEAR HEARING AIDS.

LEVELS OF CAREGIVING

1. Parent/family member walks well and can leave the home, but needs:

1. occasional transportation
2. frequent transportation
3. to be accompanied when shopping
4. to be accompanied to medical visits

2. Parent/family member is home-bound:

1. in own home
2. in own condo
3. in own apartment
4. in your home
5. in the home of another relative
6. in an assisted living building
7. in a nursing home facility

3. Parent/family member is non-ambulatory

As a caregiver, each of these situations requires different amounts of your time, patience and energy. Sometimes care-giving is shared, sometimes one person is responsible.

An untreated hearing loss will make all of these care-giving environments difficult. If a hearing-impaired family member chronically refuses to obtain a hearing aid, everyone in the family needs to get together with this person, who needs to be told that he/she is no longer in charge of this decision; a hearing aid must, and will, be obtained. Home care for hearing loss is available; not being able to get out of the home is no longer an excuse to avoid treating a hearing loss.