Vision and hearing are the primary ways we get information about our environment and communicate with others. As a result, age-related hearing and vision loss can impact physical health, emotional well-being, safety and independence. As people age, the number of people who experience significant age-related hearing and vision loss increases: almost 50% of people over 70 have significant hearing loss and about 12% have significant vision loss. With an understanding of what seniors are experiencing, and what you can do to assist them, you can improve the quality of care you provide, and help reduce frustration and isolation, ultimately supporting seniors to experience better quality of life. 

This course explains:

• The causes of age-related hearing and vision loss.
• How significant hearing and vision loss impact people’s lives through stories directly from the experts: people experiencing age-related hearing and vision loss.
• Ways to effectively interact with and support a person with dual sensory loss.

Supporting Seniors with Age-Related Hearing and Vision Loss for Families

This course is designed with the interests of family members and friends in mind. Through six modules it covers the causes and symptoms of combined hearing and vision loss, how combined hearing and vision loss can impact everyday life, how to get the help your family member needs,and practical steps to support seniors experiencing combined hearing and vision loss. The final module, Try it!, gives you a chance to apply what you've learned to problem solving in some real-life scenarios. You can choose which sections to focus on, in any order, and revisit topics of interest as many times as you like. 

This course will help you to:

• Better understand your family member's challenges and day-to-day experiences
• Improve communication
• Promote independence
• Find ways to support your family member more effectively.

Who should take this course? Family members, friends and neighbors of seniors with combined hearing and vision loss.

Estimated time required: Approximately 2 hours to complete the entire course, but you can also choose to complete a few sections at a time. This course is non-credit.

Supporting Seniors with Age-Related Hearing and Vision Loss for Providers

This course is designed to meet the needs of care providers, including nursing home and assisted living staff, healthcare professionals, and others providing services to seniors. Developing a solid understanding of causes and effects of combined hearing and vision loss builds a foundation for supporting seniors towards better health outcomes. You'll also learn about how assistive technology and modifications can be effective solutions to enhance communication and engagement.

Course objectives:

• Understand the causes of age-related hearing and vision loss
• Understand what it is like to live with significant hearing and vision loss
• Identify ways to support a person with dual sensory loss more effectively.

Who should take this course? Care providers, healthcare professionals and others who provide services to seniors in their work.

Estimated time required: Allow approximately 2 hours to complete this course. You may start the course, save your place and come back at other times to complete it. You must complete the entire course for it to appear on your transcript.