Miscommunication or Missed Communication - Challenges of Hearing Loss for Professionals & Caregivers

Discussion with Bonnie O'Leary from Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Persons will discuss: The continuum of deafness and hearing loss and how to recognize this invisible disability in patients The communication challenges that hearing loss presents and which communication strategies are most effective The differences between interpreters and CART writers Useful apps for communication in medical settings, especially when COVID masks are mandated 

Bonnie O'Leary Certified Peer Mentor and Hearing Loss Support Specialist Outreach Manager Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Persons

• Healthcare Professional Training
• Ototoxic Meds
• Caregiver Flyer
  

Questions Asked in this Discussion

• What are some of the ototoxic meds
• any suggestions for getting someone to be open to the idea that they may have some hearing loss or problem understanding spoken language? I can't get my husband to get his hearing tested, but he is constantly asking me to repeat what is said on the TV. And are there any at home screening tests?
• What about support groups for both hard of hearing and their families?
• Do you have any tips for ways to help insure that residents in nursing homes or patient in hospitals do not lose their hearing aids.
• Do you have any tips for ways to help insure that residents in nursing homes or patient in hospitals do not lose their hearing aids.
• I work in memory care unit and residents often loose them and we have to pay. Do some come with tracking device? Yes we have to refund or pay for new ones, it runs in the thousands!!
• I am a dementia practitioner and I can tell you hearing loss is also associated with dehyradtion, confusion and delirium which can be confused with dementia. Rule out all first.

Chat Transcript

12:10:04     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : MD Relay https://doit.maryland.gov/mdrelay/Pages/default.aspx

12:10:27     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : PA Relay https://www.puc.pa.gov/telecommunications/telecommunications-relay-service/pa-relay-services/

12:17:31     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : ok folks so sorry I have chat turned on now!!

12:18:12     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Please feel free to share anything and everything!

12:21:27     From  Tarita Turner : If anyone has questions about relay services please feel free to reach out!  I'm the outreach coordinator with Maryland Relay and I would be happy to help!  Tarita.Turner@HamiltonRelay.com or 240-920-9594 ????????

12:40:47     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : InnoCaption is the only mobile app that offers real-time captioning of phone calls through live stenographers and automated speech recognition software. https://www.innocaption.com/

12:41:57     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Hearing on the phone may be a source of frustration for you or someone you care about – but it doesn’t have to be. Backed by nearly two decades of proven captioned telephone technology supporting hundreds of millions of phone calls, Hamilton®️ CapTel®️ is dedicated to making phone conversations simple and accessible for people with hearing loss. https://hamiltoncaptel.com/

12:42:33     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Tarita.Turner@HamiltonRelay.com or 240-920-9594 is a great resource for the Hamilton products!

12:47:15     From  Joan Green : These are all wonderful tips!! Both of my parents have significant hearing loss and I constantly need to advocate for them. I’m a speech pathologist with a special interest in helping elders and younger folks to level the benefits of tech. Hearing assistive tech can make life so much easier. Feel free to reach out to me for a free mini phone consult.  There is a pop-up on my website. Www.InnovativeSpeech.com.

12:48:36     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Safe’N’Clear, Inc. https://safenclear.com/

12:49:04     From  Betty Bahadori : I would like to be emailed the caregiver flyer. bmbahadori@gmail.com

12:49:13     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : ClearMask https://www.theclearmask.com/

12:49:52     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : boleary@nvrc.org

12:50:34     From  Carol Hillegas : Such great information! I always go with my mom to her doctor appointments. I'm going to put the speech to text on her phone for her!

12:52:12     From  KIMBERLY PICCA   to   Hosts and panelists : Yes please send the list to Steve

12:54:44     From  Krista Kramer   to   Hosts and panelists : If he has a smart phone, the Petralex app does a hearing test that then adjusts the hearing amplifier app that he could try listening through that might give him and idea of how much he is missing.

12:55:34     From  Betty Bahadori : Thank you!

12:56:36     From  Anne Messina : My Mom has not only hearing loss, but also ADD and a short term memory impairment. The Otter app sounds great! Will this download to a laptop or tablet?

12:57:51     From  Tarita Turner : Betty (and everyone!) HASA The Hearing and Speech Agency may be able to help with hearing screening.  Here's the link: https://www.hasa.org/

12:58:11     From  Krista Kramer : @ Betty  IF he has a smart phone, the Petralex app does a hearing test that then adjusts the hearing amplifier app that he could try listening through that might give him an idea of how much he is missing.

12:58:41     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)  https://www.hearingloss.org/

12:59:50     From  Diane Watson : Thank you for all the information that's been  shared by Bonnie and others.

13:00:23     From  Betty Bahadori : Great question!

13:01:42     From  Joan Green : My parents use something similar to what people use to hang sunglasses. Otter works on laptop.

13:02:21     From  Joan Green : Otter.ai

13:03:02     From  Fred Churchill   to   Hosts and panelists : I wear hearing aids, I joist downloaded Otter and it is fantastic! Thanks Bonnie!

13:04:06     From  Bernadette Perrong : Q2  or Q4 hour Hearing Aide and eyeglass checks for CNA's for their caseload has helped with Hearing Aide and eyeglass  loss.

13:04:15     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : https://otter.ai/

13:04:24     From  Lauren Knatz   to   Hosts and panelists : Are there any ways to distinguish between hearing loss and dementia? If not do we know how much this lack of awareness is contributing to misdiagnosis of dementia

13:06:58     From  Carol Hillegas : Do you know of any resources that could help to pay for expensive hearing aids for low income elderly?

13:08:05     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project

(Lions AHAP) https://temp.lionsclubs.org/SW/pdfs/lcif/lcif127.pdf

13:08:45     From  Tarita Turner : Carol, if you are in Maryland, check with HASA.  They have a program that helps with hearing aids but I think it's grant funded so it depends on the funds.  Diamond Hill is the person who heads that program!

13:08:51     From  Jeanne Damlamian   to   Hosts and panelists : This presentation and session has been extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

13:09:15     From  Krista Kramer : @ Carol  Some of the special needs dual eligible insurance plans ( for Medicare & Medicaid eligible people) now cover hearing aids.  Molina's plan doesn't have an out of pocket cost with theirs.

13:09:40     From  Carol Hillegas : Thank you all. My aunt is in Missouri.

13:10:58     From  Krista Kramer : Help America Hear seems to be similar to what the Starkey program had been.  https://helpamericahear.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8uOWBhDXARIsAOxKJ2Hl0DUTh6ujCU4kI5zwGHg8jdd0N3DYLEp1uswmxBbrLyBfOrx0HEgaAgoIEALw_wcB

13:11:01     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : I found this in Missouri https://mcdhh.mo.gov/hadp/#:~:text=The Hearing Aid Distribution Program,(MCDHH) administers the program.

13:11:16     From  Carol Hillegas : Thank you Steve!!!

13:13:20     From  Tarita Turner : This has been fantastic!  Thanks so much Bonnie and Steve

13:13:28     From  paula david : thank you!

13:13:40     From  Lauren Knatz   to   Hosts and panelists : Thank you so much!

13:13:45     From  Veronica Hoover : Thank you!!!

13:13:45     From  Kerry Early   to   Hosts and panelists : So much good information! Thank you!

13:13:50     From  Diana Stefanelli   to   Hosts and panelists : Great! Thanks!

13:13:57     From  Carol Hillegas : Absolutely fantastic!