Sensory Loss

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Chapter 8: Sensory Loss:

Overview:

• Distinguishes between signs of visual and hearing loss and signs of early dementia
• Discusses hearing loss; its causes, assessment, management and care
• Discusses visual loss; its causes, assessment, management and care

Description:

A major presenting sign of dementia is a decline in communication skills. Dementia affects the ability of people both to understand language and to express themselves verbally and non-verbally. In addition, a person who has dementia might also have hearing loss and/or visual loss. In this chapter learn more about sensory loss in dementia patients; its causes, detection and management.

Topics:

• Assessment and differential diagnosis
• Hearing loss
  • Causes
  • Nursing assessment
  • Nursing care
• Visual loss
  • Causes
  • Nursing assessment
  • Nursing care
• Care planning in sensory loss

Speaker / Author:

Wendy-Mae Rapson
Wendy-Mae is a speech pathologist and educator who works in private practice in aged care. She has been employed as an ageing and sensory loss specialist by Baptist Community Care and the Royal Freemasons’ Homes of Victoria (Australia), and has wide experience working and consulting in dementia units — with special emphasis on assessing residents’ sensory needs, staff practices and environmental modifications to improve communicative competence.

Wendy-Mae has presented numerous conference papers on ageing and sensory loss and is involved in communication training programs for staff and caregivers in Australia and internationally.

Richard Osborn
Richard is an audiologist and educator working in private practice. Over the past thirteen years, his clinical practice has focused on addressing the hearing and general communication needs of older people. In this time he has been especially involved in the development of a range of rehabilitation services for people who experience dual sensory (vision and hearing) loss. The designing and delivery of specialised training programs for service providers working in the aged-care field has been an important component of this role.

Richard is a frequent presenter at conferences and seminars and has published more than twenty articles in professional journals.

Professional Reviews: