Lesson 8: Hearing Handicap

Topic: Hearing Part of: Unit: Challenges and Changes: Sensitivity to Vision & Hearing Compromises

• Focus: Hearing loss has multiple effects on the general well being of an individual. Because of hearing loss, persons may not understand spoken information as well and may be confused with someone who has dementia because they appear not to understand. Hearing loss can also be isolating. Older persons with hearing loss often have a lower mood and symptoms of depression. Similarly, persons with hearing loss may stay home more and be less likely to venture out into their community.

Activities | Introduction | Resources & Web Sites

Activities

Activity 8A: "Did I Hear Ya' Right?"

(hearing disorder, tinnitus, atosclerosis, dementia, frequency, speech frequency, tone)

Activity 8B: Donning a Hearing Impairment

(sensitivity, aging, disease, activity of daily living)

Activity 8C: Amplify

(amplification)

Activity 8D: Caregiver for the Hearing Impaired

(sensitivity, aging, disease, caregiving)

Activity 8E: Measuring Hearing Handicap in Elders

(hhie-s, survey, graph, hearing handicap inventory elderly)

Entire Lesson Download (10 pages)

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Introduction

Lesson 8, "Hearing Handicap" is designed to sensitize students to the problems that may occur with hearing loss. The first three activities illustrate in the classroom the types of difficulties that may occur with speech understanding. Activity 8D is a class activity designed to have the whole class do a survey of hearing handicap in older persons. Data collection forms are provided (in English and Spanish) and each student is expected to survey 5 older adults. The responses are anonymous without any identifiers. The class then pools their data and develops a bar graph to create a frequency distribution of hearing handicap. The prior results of a similar survey are provided as a bar graph: this graph may be used to compare, contrast, and discuss differences between what the class found and what has been previously measured in other groups.

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Resources & Web Sites

Sight and Hearing Association - dedicated to preventing the needless loss of vision and hearing through effective screening, education and research. http://www.sightandhearing.org/

 

Better Hearing Institute - information on hearing loss, tinnitus, and hearing aids, as well as a directory of hearing care providers. http://www.betterhearing.org/

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