Age comes with several challenges including hearing loss. A recent report by the National Institute of Health indicates that about one in three aging folks who are about 65 to 74 years old have some kind of hearing impairment.
Age-related hearing loss has a detrimental impact on the quality of life of affected elders. The unexpected change can also impact their capacity to live independently as well. In a like manner, the sudden and unprecedented change in their physical state is stressful. Most importantly, hearing loss puts their life at risk as they may fail to respond to dangerous situations in good time.
Be that as it may, hearing-impaired older adults still deserve to live a comfortable and fulfilling life. The best way for them to achieve that is by moving to assisted living communities in Laurel, VA. Here is why assisted living centers are ideal for your hearing-impaired relative.
Specially Trained Team
Caregivers who tend to the residents should undergo thorough training on how to communicate with hearing-impaired residents for optimal service delivery. Along with that, healthcare providers ought to familiarize themselves with the deaf culture to know how to interact with elderly people who have hearing loss.
Advanced Technology
The ultimate assisted living community should feature advanced technology to facilitate seamless communication between caregivers and residents. Hearing loss creates a communication barrier that can have a negative implication on service delivery.
There should be different ways for deaf residents to relay information. The assisted living center should have equipment that enables voice text messages. Other than that, the center should embrace video communication where captioning and signs are used to pass information around.
Medical Interpreters
Medical services are an integral part of senior living. Old age takes a toll on the immune system making it imperative for the elderly to undertake checkups and seek medical assistance from time to time. Nevertheless, communicating with an older adult who is hearing impaired can be tricky. It is difficult to explain the diagnosis and medical terminology to a person with limited hearing capacity. That is why a good assisted living community ought to have medical interpreters to iron out any miscommunication.
Deaf-Friendly Amenities
Elders who have hearing loss will have a hard time operating in a conventional environment. Thus, the ultimate assisted living center should be incorporated buildings and other amenities that are deaf-friendly. The place should be designed in a manner that is mindful of the needs of hearing-impaired elders. For instance, the phones should light up instead of ringing. Likewise, their emergency alarms should consider their unique requirements. Instead of ringing, the alarm should vibrate beds to alert the residents of any danger. Again, emergency systems should feature clear visual alerts.
Regular Social Interaction
Most older adults with hearing loss tend to avoid social situations. By avoiding interacting with other people, elders with such a condition are bound to be isolated. Isolation is not healthy at an advanced age. It is associated with stress and depression. The best-assisted living center should have programs in place to promote socialization among the residents and socialization between the residents and their friends and loved ones. Regular interactions with other people will help to improve their mental health and boost their confidence.
