Hearing Loss in a Medical Setting

Whether in a doctor’s office for a routine visit, or in a planned or unplanned hospital visit, being hard of hearing can pose significant challenges. Our experiences so far, show that most medical facilities are ill prepared to treat patients with hearing loss.

Websites for major hospitals have no mention of accessibility policies, appearing to assume that if they have wheelchair access, they are covered.

I recently had the unfortunate experience of spending two nights in a Central Oregon hospital after having broken five ribs in a bicycle accident. Yes it was excruciating !! However, the care and compassion I received in that hospital was excellent. After the initial assessment of my condition, and then a series of tests, the trauma doctor on duty came into my room fully masked. When I explained that I have severe hearing loss and asked if she would be willing to pull down her mask so that I could be sure to understand her words. She replied “no”. She said that she is wearing the mask to protect her own health. Ouch !! Not only was she not willing to accommodate, but she offered no other assistance, other than to say she would just talk louder. And of course, those of you who have hearing loss know that volume is not always the answer. Clarity, and being able to see a person’s face IS an answer.

Other than that unfortunate experience, without fail, every single nurse, PA, and technician in that hospital immediately complied if they were wearing a mask, with grace and understanding. Had this been a planned visit, I would have initiated contact with the hospital before admittance to inquire about their policies for accommodating patients with hearing loss. To be honest, I’m not sure that hospitals and doctor’s offices even have such policies, but that shouldn’t stop us from asking. In fact, one of the best things you can do, both for your own treatment, but for others with hearing loss, is to ASK. Ask what they provide. Ask people to pull down their masks and step back. Let them know that in order to get the maximum benefit from your visit, you need to be able to hear well and accurately. That my mean some sort of assistive listening device, or it may mean that you bring someone with you to all treatment sessions.

This is just one more place in the life of a person with hearing loss where personal advocacy is
necessary and beneficial. Ask for what you need !