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Communicating with Hearing Impaired Patients

In communicating with hearing impaired patients and residents, it is important for the CNA to have all the necessary patience to cope with their resident’s weakness.  You have to remember that they are physically impaired so you will have to cope with that situation and learn that it will take some time in order for what you are saying to become clear to them.  It can be a bit hard especially for a new CNA to deal with these situations but if you want to have a more pleasurable experience with your job, then you have to follow these steps.

The first thing to do is to find an entry where you will be easily seen by the patient on the front or on the side.  Never try to enter the room of someone who has a hearing impairment through the back as it can startle them to see you there.  You can also tap them slightly on their shoulders in order to let them know that you are in their room.  The next thing that you have to do is to lessen the amount of noise and other sounds which may be entering the room.  You can do this by lowering the volume of the sound in their room or by closing the door in order to minimize the amount of noise that is coming from the outside.

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Next, check the patient’s hearing aid and make sure that they are clean.  You can help the patient adjust the volume of their hearing aid as well in order to help them hear well.  Make sure that the volume is set on a desirable level in order to eliminate any irritating noise from coming from the hearing aid.  To communicate with your patient if he does not have a hearing aid, you can employ several steps in order to make you well understood.  For example, you can make use of charades or writing tablets in order to effectively relay what they have to say but you should always encourage your patient to make use of their hearing faculty.

The next thing that you can do is to try to keep a slow pace of speaking in order for the patient to catch up with what you are trying to say.  Sometimes, the patient can try to make sense of what you are saying by reading the shapes that your mouth makes when you speak.  You should also try to be as articulate as possible in order for the patient to get a good grasp of what you would like to say.

After you are done communicating with your patient, try to make them understand that you are leaving but that you would like to continue the conversation next time. Always make sure that their call button is within their reach and that everything that they might need is also close by.  Be as patient as you can when you are communicating with these types of patients and always view it as an exciting part of your job.

Communicating with Patients with Speaking Problems

There are certain steps that you can take in order to carry out the task of communicating with patients with speaking problems more effectively.  This can sometimes be the most challenging part of a CNAs job as oral communication is the best way for the patient to tell how they are feeling and also to convey requests that they may have.  This particular aspect of a CNAs job requires a lot of patience and sensitivity in order to carry this task more effectively.  Depending on the state of your patient’s speaking faculty, you will have an easier or harder job of doing this.

The first thing that you have to do is to knock on the resident’s door and to introduce yourself and explain what your purpose is in visiting their room.  Greet them by their name and wish them well.  After that, try to communicate with your patient as much as you can and keep your sentences as short as you can and to the point.  Make the words more understandable by keeping away from too many technical terms and try to keep it on more familiar wording.  This will help them understand you much easier and they will also be able to answer you more clearly.

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Ask those using simple questions which are also direct.  Such question can be like, “Are you hungry?” or “Do you want to sleep?” in order to make the resident understand and grasp what you are saying much easier.  You may need to wait patiently in order for the patient to respond and try to grasp what they are saying.  It will require a lot of patience to do this since the patient is having difficulties communicating.  You can make use of certain signals or body actions in order to indicate a simple yes or no answer to what you are saying.

Aside from that, you can also make use of writing in order to communicate with your patient or you can also make use of cards or scrabble tiles in order for them to convey what they wish to say.  You can also teach them how to point out things that they want in order for you to understand them better. You can also make use of pictures in order to help you understand what the resident is trying to say.  Bring any of these items in order to help them communicate.

Lastly, you will have to encourage them to communicate with you by providing them with ample time to respond and by letting them know that you are being attentive to what they are trying to say.  Never show your patient that you are getting mad or impatient due to the slowness of their response.  This will discourage them from ever trying to communicate with you and may create some tension in your relationship as their CNA.  When you are about to leave, let the resident know that clearly and then make sure that everything that they need is within their reach.