Aspects of ar

ASPECTS OF AURAL REHAB

When addressing the topic of aural

rehabilitation, some prefer to use the

term habilitation instead of

rehabilitation. The difference?

• Habilitation is creating opportunities

which never existed.

• Rehabilitation is restoring opportunities

which are currently missing.


Aspects for aural rehabilitation are

different for different age groups.

We will identify three age groups of

hearing impaired and discuss important

aspects regarding each.


• The school age

• The adult

• The elderly

Aural rehabilitation is approached differently for each. However, fundamental counseling approaches remain the same.


SCHOOL AGE

Three levels of hearing loss experience

may exist within this age group.

They are:

1. Congenital

2. Pre-lingual

3. Post-lingual


SCHOOL AGE

Management of aural rehab processes

for this age group is, of course, critical

for their future development and

maturity.

However, notice that many of these

concepts/processes can also be used

for the other two age group levels.


SCHOOL AGE

Aspects to consider for this age group

include:

• Development of social skills

• Hearing conservation

• Self-advocacy

• Hearing aids, audibility, & amplification issues

• Cochlear implant support

• Learning environment “sound treatment”


ADULT

Hearing difficulties for adults, often

begin to manifest themselves after age

forty; with nearly half of the adult

population having a clinically

significant degree of hearing loss past

age seventy-five.


ADULT

Hazardous exposure to recreational

and occupational noise contribute to

adult hearing loss.

Health conditions begin to manifest

themselves which may also contribute

to hearing loss.


ADULT

The most challenging aspect for this

age group is identifying and gaining

acceptance of their insidious hearing

loss.

Aural rehab management cannot occur

if they do not accept and/or are not

aware of their hearing deficit.


ADULTOnce acceptance has occurred, aural rehabilitation considerations are similar to the student age group. • Maintaining social lifestyles

• Hearing conservation

• Self-advocacy

• Hearing aids, audibility, & amplification issues

• Cochlear implant support

• Listening environment awareness


ELDERLYAural rehabilitation management becomes modified when working with those age eighty and older. There are two primary reasons. They are:

• Presbycusis together with phonemic regression is often encountered.

• Their past lifestyles and listening requirements have often been modified for a variety of social and personal reasons.


ELDERLY

The effects of untreated hearing loss

often result in phonemic regression.

This often modifies the individual’s

emotional, social, cognitive, and even

linguistic performance.


ELDERLY

Reduced cognition and motor skills

are encountered due to the

elderly's’ reduced abilities of

sensory perception i.e. hearing,

vision, smell, taste.


ELDERLY

NOTE: A 2002 study revealed that

when these senses are reduced for

those at younger age levels, they

also suffered reduced cognition

and motor skill ability.


ELDERLY

This study reveals the necessity for

early intervention with aural

rehabilitation.

When hearing loss is revealed—it

should be attended to.


ELDERLY

Management aspects for aural rehab

must be modified to include factors

such as:

• Modified personal and environmental

• Economic status and retirement

• Modified living environments


ELDERLY

Modified personal and environmental

factors may include:

• Physical condition

• Emotional and sexual life

• Marital relationship

• Peer group modifications

• Modified occupation/recreation activity

• Modified income level


ELDERLY

Retirement often modifies their

economic status.

This factor may result in reduced social

interaction and erode self-esteem.


ELDERLY

Living environments become modified

for a variety of health and economic

reasons.

Almost half of those eight-five and older

live alone.

This creates reduced opportunities for

communication.


As stated earlier, though various

aspects are encountered in the

management of effective aural

rehabilitation, the model used for

effective counseling remains the

same.

Health & Medicine

Aspects of ar