Paige BerryCoordinator, Senior Adult ServicesP O Box 980330Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA 23298

paige.berry@hknc.org804/827-0920

Cynthia IngrahamEast Central Regional Representative14440 Cherry Lane Ct., Suite 214Laurel, MD 20707

cynthia.ingraham@hknc.org240-786-6534

HelenKeller National Centerwww.hknc.org

141 Middle Neck RdSands Point, NY 11050(516) 944‐8900 www.hknc.org

HKNC is the only national residential vocational and rehabilitation agency to 

provide services exclusively to youth and adults who have combined vision and 

hearing loss.

What is the Helen Keller National Center

• Role of HKNC Regional Representative

• Role of HKNC Senior Adult Specialist

To commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1, 2007,  actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.

“AARP” Song

AARP SONG(tune “My Favorite Things”

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,Bundles of magazines tied up in string,These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs, cataracts, hearing aids, glasses,Polident, Fixodent, false teeth in glasses, Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,When the knees go bad,I simply remember my favorite things,And then I don’t feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for bunions,No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,Bathrobes and heating pads, hot meals they bring,These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin’,Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinning’,More of the pleasures advancing age brings-When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, when the hips break,When the eyes grow dim,I simply remember the great life I’ve had,And then I don’t feel….so bad!

The End!

"Loss of vision means losing contact with things,

but loss of hearing means losing contact with people“.                       

‐‐ Helen Keller

. 

“Deaf-Blind”

Basically – 4 categories

1. Individuals who are hard of hearing and partially sighted or visually impaired

2. Individuals who are deaf and partially sighted.

3. Individuals who are blind and hard of hearing.

4. Individuals who are deaf and blind. (Individuals in this category are a minority. Many individuals retain some useful vision or hearing, or both).

Macular Degeneration Cataract Diabetic Retinopathy

Retinitis Pigmentosa/Glaucoma

Most Common Eye Disease Affecting Older Adults

Charles Bonnet Syndrome(visual hallucinations)

• Less frequently diagnosed – patients don’t tell family/doctor/friends

• More common in elderly due to prevalence of vision loss later in life.  Seen most often in patients with Macular Degeneration.

• May persist for a few days to many years

• The imagery is varied and may include groups of people or children, animals, and panoramic countryside scenes 

Charles Bonnet SyndromeVisual Hallucinations

General Communication Tips – Let others know:

• Best way to get your attention 

• Which ear is best

• Where the speaker is, so you are facing or turned in his/her direction

• Tell you when they leave the room. • Put you in touch with a table, chair, wall, etc. – don’t leave you in an open 

space.

• To let you know if the volume of your voice is too low or too loud.  (ask them to think of a volume control button ‐ draw a line up your arm if you are speaking too soft; a line down your arm if  speaking too loud.  

• Let you know if there is feedback  from your hearing aid.

• Reconfirm important points.

Communication in a Restaurant

• Call ahead and ask for booth with high back. • If there is no booth, ask for a table in the quietest part of the 

restaurant so your back may be against a wall. 

• Ask to be seated away from kitchen and front door.

• Ask if wait staff can assist you:

– Reading menu

– Buffet line

– Cut your meat before serving it to you

Community Events

• Ask if the speaker will be using a microphone system

• Ask if an Assistive Listening  Device is available

• If not, ask if you can bring your own ALD and if the speaker will wear it

• Ask speaker to repeat questions from the audience when applicable• Ask to be seated near the person speaking, or next to the speaker where 

the sound comes out

• Ask for an interpreter when applicable• If requesting an interpreter – let the host know if you prefer ASL, 

PSE, or MCE.• Let the host know if you need tactile, close vision, or another 

method of interpreting• Be a teacher to others in the community regarding your communication 

needs.  

• Reduce or eliminate as much background noise as possible (TV/radio/running water/dishes clanging, etc.)

• Avoid having windows or bright lights behind you • Ask the individual to explain what they see and hear.

• Look at the individual when talking in case he/she is relying on speech‐reading 

• Don’t eat or chew gum in case the consumer is trying to read your lips.

• Say the person’s name to get their attention before speaking. 

• Speak slowly, clearly, and directly to the person.   

• Avoid shouting (it distorts understanding). • Speak in low tones. (Hearing loss usually 

affects high‐range sounds first.) • Do not speak from another room. • Try using different phrases with the same 

meaning if the person is not understanding.

• Keep your hands away from your mouth. 

• Get on the same eye level if possible.

• Trim your beard & moustache

• Allow more "processing" time before moving on to the next topic. 

• Speak clearly, in a normal voice • Ask the person which ear is best• Ask if he/she has preference as to where you sit/stand

• Keep words and sentences relatively short • Pause slightly to allow the person an opportunity to “fill in the blanks 

• If asked to repeat something, do so cheerfully.  You may have to rephrase the question

• Leave important information in an alternate format

• Select a time of the day when the person is most alert 

• Ask follow‐up questions to be sure the person understood and is not “bluffing”

• Consider  using  Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) 

• Offer to fill out paperwork  for the person

• Personal Communication Devices• Infra‐Red Systems• FM Systems• Audio Loops

• Pocketalker

Personal frequency modulation (FM) systemsWireless  

• like miniature radio stations operating on special frequencies. 

• consists of a transmitter microphone used by the speaker (such as the teacher in the classroom, or the speaker at a lecture)

• a receiver used by the listener• receiver transmits the sound to 

your ears or, if you wear a hearing aid, directly to the hearing aid.

Use with Headphones; Neck loop if equipped with Telecoil (T-switch); Ear bud

Loop Systems

Low Vision Devices

Color Contrast

Writing Guides

Check Writing Guide Envelope  Address Guide

Signature Guide

Guide Horse

Cane Travel

Guide Dog

Safety ConsiderationsDoorbell

or Knock on Door:Can you hear a knock

on the door/or doorbell ring?

With/without hearing aid.

If you are not in the same room as the bell/door?

Smoke alarm/Carbon Monoxide alarm:

Do you have a smoke /carbon monoxide detector?

Can you hear it when it is activated?

Can you hear it without hearing aid?

Can you hear it if you are not in the same room with it?

Telephone: Can you hear it ring if not same room with it? If you do not have hearing aid on? Can you understand most speech over the phone? Do you hear better in the high or low frequencies?

Misc. ??? Can you hear an alarm clock; stove timer; microwave beep?

Can you read captioning on the TV?

Can you understand most speech on the television/ radio?

Can you understand speech in a crowd; noisy environment? (restaurant; mall; traffic)

Scrabble  LP/Braille

Card games: LP Braille

Bingo: LP/Braille

Drawing/Painting

Knitting CrochetingMacramé Sculpture

Self‐threading Needles

Courtesy Tips For Service Providers

Caregivers, Home Health Care, Hospital, Nursing

Home, Assisted Living, etc.

Let Me Know

• If there is an emergency, draw a large “X” on my back!     I will go with you without asking questions.  You can explain to me later.

Getting My Attention

• Let me know when you come into my room

• Say my name to get my attention

• If I do not respond to your voice, touch the back of my hand or, shake the bed

Let Me Know• when my meal tray has arrived• when you deliver my mail• when you leave the room

Let me know before you attempt to give me a shot, take my blood pressure, listen to my heart, take my blood sugar, give me medicine, etc.

Try using your stethoscope for better communication

If I ring the call bell, remember, I might not understand your speech when you respond.

Please come to my room so we can communicate face to face.

Please don’t move my furniture, clothes, or other personal belongings without my permission.

You move it I lose it

Please Consider• Having the newsletter and 

activities’ calendar put into large print/Braille or accessible media

• If I am a sign language user, ask for volunteers from local Deaf Club or community sign language classes, to visit, read mail, help with activities, etc.

• Letting me know today’s date • Letting me know news updates• Letting me know the weather • Asking for students in 

Aging/Gerontology Studies to volunteer to visit; read my mail; read the newspaper, etc.

www.icanconnect.org

The goal of the National Deaf‐Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) is to ensure that every person with combined hearing and vision loss has access to modern telecommunication tools and the training necessary to use them, granting every individual the opportunity to interact with the world as an involved, contributing member of society.

• Braille Devices• Computers• Mobile Devices• Phones, iPhone, iPad• Signallrs• Software

IPAD/IPHONE• Voice over

• Refreshabraille 18  ‐ (GPS app)

•Bluetooth keyboard for face‐to‐face communication

•Connects to internet via WiFi or MiFi or 3/4G access

For senior adults, age 55 and better who are experiencing combined loss of vision and hearing

Designed to provide information about vision and hearing loss

Peer support group where vision and hearing needs are accommodated

Opportunity to experience new technology Meet others experiencing vision & hearing 

loss  Learn coping strategies Build confidence Learn new communication strategies Have Fun! Gain HOPE

Confident Living Program (CLP). 

Confident Living for Senior AdultsMaximum of 6 participants

All participants blind or visually impaired and hard of hearing (not sign language user)

Topics Vision LossHearing LossCoping StrategiesTechnologyCommunication HintsLeisure ActivitiesElder Law IssuesResourcesHaving Fun

October 19-24, 2014

Option 1:

One-week “Confident Living Program” for Senior Adults, ages 55 and better, who are Hard of Hearing, and Blind or Visually Impaired and do not use sign Language as their primary means of communication.

This program is held at HKNC’s National Center in Sands Point, NY.

Program Costs: for one week. Total cost: $1100. plus transportation

Option 2: Confident Living Program for Senior Adults, ages 55 and better who are Deaf-Blind, or Deaf and Visually Impaired and use sign language as their primary means of communication.

Program Cost: $1100. plus transportation

This program is held at Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, NY

Option 3:On the Road” Confident Living Program

HKNC will bring the Confident Living Program to your state or home community. The On-the-Road program lasts 2.5 days. It can been during the week or on a weekend.

Cost for this program is determined by the hosting organization. A training fee of $500 is requested as well as travel, meals, and lodging for HKNC staff participation.

For more information :

Paige Berry, Program Coordinator,Senior Adult ServicesHelen Keller National Center,PO Box 980330, Richmond, VA 23298. Telephone: 804-827-0920 Voice and TTY. Email: paige.berry@hknc.orgOr, visit our website at: www.hknc.org

Assistance to purchase hearing aids and assistive listening devices:

Hearing Loss Association of America has an extensive list of programs and foundations that assist with the purchase of hearing aids.http://www.hearingloss.org/content/financial-assistance-programs-foundations

Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project (AHAP)email: LionsAHAP@lionsclubs.orgwww.lionsclubs.org The AHAP is only available through local Lions clubs. Contact a club in your town for more information.

Hear Now Program 6700 Washington Ave S., Eden Prairie, MN 553441-800-648-4327 V/TTYWebsite: http://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/hear-now.php. Provides recycled and used hearing aids to low-income persons.

Veterans Administration

Vocational Rehabilitation

Questions, Questions