There was an excellent response to this exercise which suggested that not only are most readers familiar with patients with hearing impairment, but recognise its significance upon the lives of sufferers.
You were asked the following questions:
A 78-year-old man attends for a routine eye examination. During your first conversation with him, you suspect he may have a hearing impairment. Discuss the following;
Signs of Impairment
Most respondents recognised that there are a whole range of verbal and non-verbal indicators of hearing loss. A typical response list was, ‘The patient may ask for things to be repeated. His answers may not make sense or not appear to be answering the question. He may misinterpret instructions. Look for gestures such as cupping the hand behind the ear, leaning forward, looking intently at the mouth of the person speaking. The patient may speak louder than one might expect. Some hearing impaired patients may not respond immediately when called for their appointment. Support staff may be able to alert the practitioner if a particular patient had difficulty conversing on the telephone.’
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