1. The client/caregiver can list general facts about hearing loss.
   1. It is the most common disability.
   2. It affects mostly the older population.
   3. According to the Mayo Clinic, one third of Americans older than the age of 60 years have hearing loss, and one half of Americans older than the age of 85 years has some hearing loss.
2. The client/caregiver can list signs and symptoms of hearing loss.
   1. Muffled quality of speech and other sounds
   2. Difficulty understanding words, especially in a crowd
   3. Asking others to speak more slowly, clearly, or loudly
   4. Needing to turn up the volume of television or radio
   5. Withdrawal from conversations
   6. Avoidance of some social settings
3. The client/caregiver can list types of hearing loss.
   1. Conductive is an interference with the conduction of sound impulses through the external canal, eardrum, or middle ear.
   2. Sensorineural is caused by disease or trauma of the inner ear.
   3. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural.
   4. Central deafness is a rare form affecting the central nervous system causing a lack of interpretation of sounds.
   5. Sometimes a build-up of wax causing blockage can cause loss of hearing.
4. The client/caregiver can list risk factors for hearing loss.
   1. Aging and the normal wear and tear can cause damage.
   2. Loud noises like occupational noise, loud music, and shooting firearms can contribute to damage inside your ear.
   3. Heredity
   4. Some medication such as the antibiotic gentamicin or aspirin
   5. Illnesses that result in high fevers may damage the hearing
5. The client/caregiver can list some treatment options for hearing loss.
   1. Removing wax blockage
   2. Using hearing aid
   3. Having cochlear implants
6. The client/caregiver can list coping skills to promote communication.
   1. Face the person with whom you are speaking.
   2. Turn off background noise such as television.
   3. Choose quiet settings to talk.
   4. Ask others to speak clearly.
   5. Avoid covering your mouth or chewing gum when speaking.
   6. Speak slowly and clearly. Do not shout. Pitch your voice lower (they can be heard better than high tones).
   7. Consider using a hearing aid or other hearing devices, such as telephone- amplifying devices.
7. The client/caregiver can list measures to prevent hearing loss.
   1. Protect your ears in the workplace.
   2. Have your hearing tested.
   3. Avoid recreational risks by turning down loud music or wearing earplugs for protection.
8. The client/caregiver can list educational services available to the hearing impaired of any age.
   1. Regular speech, language, and auditory training from a specialist
   2. Amplification systems
   3. Services of an interpreter for those students who use sign language
   4. Favorable seating in the class to facilitate lip reading
   5. Captioned film, video, and television
   6. Assistance of a notetaker for student with a hearing loss
   7. Instruction in alternate communication methods, such as sign language
   8. Counseling

Resources

National Institutes of Health Senior Health
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/hearingloss/toc.htm

National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders
www.nidcd.nih.gov

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
www.nidcd.nih.gov

Self Help for Hard of Hearing People
https://www.hearingloss.org