This self-paced, on-demand course will also provide you with practical tips you can use every day in your work and life to mitigate vision or hearing loss in your patients. Not being understood is a frustration for all of us. Just because hearing loss is part of the equation does not mean miscommunication needs to be the norm.

• Approved by Oregon Health Authority - OHA for 2 hours of Cultural Competence CE

• Approved by CRCC for 2hr Cultural Competence

• Approved by the California Nursing Board, Provider CEP#18180 for 2 contact hours

What you can expect:

• videos

• resources & tools

• real-life examples

• interactive exercises (need ear protection muffs or plugs)

Low Tech Strategies such as moving closer, communication cards, writing, changing the words to have fewer S, C, T, P in them, using alpha terms to spell, such as alpha for a, poppa for p, or tango for t, will help make communication better. It will also convey your willingness and caring to make sure your charge doesn't feel isolated or ignored. Or even worse, a frustration.

Hearing aids now provide many options besides just making sounds louder. They connect directly to Phones, computers, and to mini mics to provide less distortion of those soft consonants. Some people can get by with an OTC hearing aid (*not a personal amplifier) without the need for a prescription or high cost. People who also have vision loss need to be aware that, in order to make speech clearer, the hearing aid will block environmental sounds like a tire crunch on pavement, a door click, even horns, etc., which means outdoor dangerous travel or being unaware of the movement of people/pets in the house. This can be handled with a program specifically set up to include environmental sounds, though still capping the super loud sounds for comfort.

Formal Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this CE opportunity, participants should be able to:

1. Identify, assess, and change information delivery options when miscommunications could be a factor or result of hearing loss, to prevent a lack of informed consent or compliance with instructions.

2. Be aware of the controllable elements of providing the best options for effective communications for anyone, but especially for those with mild to moderate hearing loss who do not prefer or know ASL.

3. Help staff and themselves build skills/compassion to address fear/avoidance of people who are loud or often reacting to what they thought they heard.

4. Be able to understand culturally appropriate use of assistive technology, communication cards, helpful apps, and access a list of qualified health care interpreters and other options when interpreters are requested or the best means of clear communication.

FAQs

• Can I complete this course on my own time, or do I need to be online at a specific time?
  -This course is completely self-paced, so you can log in and complete the lessons whenever it works best for you. There are no scheduled class times or required live sessions. You’ll have access to the course for one year, giving you plenty of time to complete it at your own pace

• How/when do I gain access to the course?
  -You get instant access to the course once you enroll and complete payment via Thinkific. Navigate to your home page, and you will find your enrolled class(es) there to access any time!

• How/when do I receive my certificate?

  - Your certificate auto-generates as soon as you complete the course. After all lessons are completed, you will be prompted to fill out the course evaluation. Once the course evaluation is complete, you will get a page to download your certificate. If you need to download it later, it will be saved to your student profile so you can come back later.

• Can I do the course on a phone/tablet?
  -Thinkific is designed to work on desktop, phone, and tablet. However, it is recommended to use your desktop for the best experience. If you are having difficulty watching or loading videos, try the following:
  —Try switching to a different browser (GoogleChrome is recommended)

  —Ensure your browser is up to date

  —Try disabling hardware acceleration in Chrome settings

  —Open the course in an incognito window

  Video settings are set to play with sound; however, both Safari and Chrome require you to click the sound button each time. You may be able to change the settings in your internet browser to avoid having to click the sound button.

• What if I have other questions?
  -Deb’s inbox is always available if you have any questions: deb@adaptabilityforlife.com. You can also find answers to many of your Thinkific-related questions from your student profile via chat, email, and FAQs.