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How to Care for the Hearing Impaired

Contributor
By Sue Teresa Tan
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

A hearing impairment or deafness is a partial or total loss of hearing in one or both ears. A hearing impairment is caused by a broad range of environmental and biological factors, happening to absolutely any living organism capable of perceiving sound. Deaf people are commonly called hearing impaired.
How a sound wave travels depends on the amplitude and frequency. The sound wave's peak pressure variation is called amplitude, while the sound wave's number of cycles per second is called the frequency. A person's loss of the ability to perceive frequencies or to identify low-amplitude sounds that a living organism naturally notices or detects characterizes hearing impairment. People with hearing impairment need extra family support and care.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Pen and paper
  • Pictures
  • Hearing aids
  • Small container
  • Telephone
  1. Step 1

    Communicate with the hearing-impaired child or person by facing him directly. Ascertain that you are not directly in front of a window. Position yourself in such a manner that your face can be clearly seen by him.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce environmental noise when communicating with a hearing-impaired individual by closing the door or minimizing the source of the noise.

  3. Step 3

    Seek the aid of a pen and paper when trying to make a hearing-impaired person understand an important message, or use pictures to help him understand.

  4. Step 4

    Use nonverbal cues to communicate, such as tapping lightly on a table's surface or lightly touching his shoulders or arms to catch the attention.

  5. Step 5

    Teach the hearing-impaired child some hand signals that indicate an emergency. Attach lights to the existing alarm system.

  6. Step 6

    Learn and improve your skills in sign language by enrolling in a sign language class.

  7. Step 7

    Keep hearing aids clean by teaching the deaf person how with the use of a wax pick and wax brush purchased from an audiologist. Ensure that there is a designated small container and area where he or she can safely keep the hearing aid when not being used.

  8. Step 8

    Contact resources in your community by telephone or personal appearance that can offer seminars or meetings about the proper use of the types of adaptive equipment or devices used and applicable for hearing impairment, such as local telephone companies that install amplifying telephones and telephone communication devices for the deaf. Contact national organizations for additional information.

Tips & Warnings
  • It is difficult for the hearing impaired to hear you when your face cannot be seen. It is very important for hearing-impaired people to see your facial expression while communicating. Exerting effort in trying to hear you can be quite frustrating and tiring to the hearing-impaired person. Speak clearly or write down what you are trying to say. Background noise levels and loud music should not compete with your conversation with a hearing-impaired person. The use of sound-absorbent materials such as cork boards or carpet tile for the walls will help lessen the noise in a room. People with severe hearing impairments may not hear smoke alarms. Lights will help catch their attention. Children especially will follow what they see you do. If you ignore people with disabilities, then they will copy this trait when placed in a similar situation.
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