Hi there, my name is Patrice. Welcome to my site. I am excited to share my knowledge about assisted living communities with you all today. When my mother reached her elder years, I was unable to provide her with the level of care she needed each day. I wanted her to receive the best of care without feeling like we abandoned her. I set her up in an assisted living community and visited on a regular basis. I want to use this site to talk about all of the benefits of utilizing assisted living facilities for your parents and other loved ones.
Choosing assisted living for a relative can be hard, and that choice can be made even more difficult when your loved one has a hearing impairment. You may be worried that he or she won't be able to communicate with staff, or you may be worried that your loved one won't hear emergency alarms going off. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make sure your hearing impaired loved one feels safe, comfortable, and included at his or her new assisted living facility.
Arrange For Adaptive Equipment
Adaptive equipment can help your loved one handle daily living tasks. A phone equipped with a handset amplifier may be enough to help your relative tak comfortably on the phone, or you may want to invest in a TTY or closed captioned phone system if your loved one has more serious hearing impairment. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors equipped with flashing lights provide the alert needed during an emergency, and you can have a simple doorbell installed outside of your loved one's room that will cause a flashing light to come on whenever someone is at the door. Be sure to discuss any changes you'll be making to your relative's room with the facility's director first, as some facilities may already have some of this equipment ready for use.
Choose The Preferred Method Of Communication
Your loved one has the right to communicate in the way that is most comfortable for him or her. If your relative prefers to use sign language, then be sure to find a facility willing to accommodate this method of communication. For people who prefer to lip read, be sure to let the staff know that your loved one won't be able to carry on a conversation if a staff member is wearing a mask. This is important to remember in a hospital- or clinic-type setting, as doctors and nurses often wear masks to prevent the spread of germs. You may decide to look for an assisted living facility that specializes in care for the hearing impaired and deaf, but you'll want to include your relative in that decision too; he or she may prefer to live with people of all ability levels.
Address The Hearing Loss
Some people are hearing impaired their whole lives, but for others, the hearing loss may be new. If your loved one has only recently begun having hearing problems, be sure he or she visits a doctor and has his or her hearing checked. In some cases, medical treatments or hearing aids can help, and in other cases, learning sign language or lip reading can assist someone with hearing loss to better communicate with the rest of the world. Giving your relative the tools to deal with hearing loss while in assisted living will help him or her to become more independent.
Discuss any plans you make regarding assisted living with your loved one, and be sure that you are taking his or her hearing loss into effect when you arrange for a room at a new facility. Contact a company like Cokato Charitable Trust - Cokato Manor to learn more.
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