Deaf Awareness
Introduction Occasionally, we may encounter few deaf patients at workplace, and these are countless times that I am worried if there is a potential for communication breakdown. I always pray that we are able to communicate via pen and paper (i.e. written communication). Remember, miscommunication can be fatal in healthcare. Nonetheless, mastering sign language might be helpful to improve trust and rapport. Hard of Hearing vs Deaf The term hard of hearing may be used to describe all degrees of hearing loss up to and including total deafness. It is more likely to be used by individuals who have had their hearing loss after the point of language acquisition (usually as a teenager or adult). People in the deft community are often being born deaf or become deaf in their infancy. They have never had the experience of hearing. Deaf people miss out on a lot of information, not just the news or information from the community but also information about what their family and some friends talk ...