Centre for Policy on Ageing



Sensory loss and communication difficulties in the elderly
Author(s)	N Erber, S Scherer
Journal title	Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol 18, no 1, February 1999
Pages	pp 4-9
Keywords	Visual impairment ; Hearing Impairment ; Communication ; Personal relationships ; Therapy ; Australia.
Annotation	The effects of hearing loss and vision loss on communication in older people are examined in this article. Many older people with hearing and vision loss experience reduced communicative capacity. Medical treatments (eg., cerumen removal, lens replacement) and `instant' therapies (e.g., slowed speech, close proximity) may improve communication in the short term. In serious cases, specialist therapists may need to implement longer-term intervention (e.g., environmental control, perceptual aids, communication training). Recurrent communication breakdown can have devastating consequences for interpersonal relationships and psychosocial well-being. Some older people with severe sensory impairment are able to interact only with skilled communication partners. This condition of age-related communicative dependence on others have major implications for health care and professional education. (AKM).
Accession Number	CPA-990716207 A
Classmark	BR: BV: U: DS: LO: 7YA
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.