Fill in the Gaps > Too many older people who are deafblind ... - Sense

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1 > Deafblindness and older peopleDon’t miss anopportunityIf we take the view thatloss of sight and hearingare a normal, acceptablepart of ageing, we missthe opportunity to helppeople make best useof their remaining visionand hearing.Talking about sensory lossMany older people with a hearing and vision loss don’t think ofthemselves as deafblind. They may think that sensory loss is just one moreeffect of old age along with mobility problems, memory loss, illness ordepression – and it often is.But that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about it. Their hearing andvision loss may have crept up on them slowly so they only gradually realisethat something is wrong. They may see some things, but not others. Theymay hear in some situations, but not others. They may use phrases suchas: “I don’t hear too well” or “I’m having problems with my eyes”. Andyet the everyday difficulties they describe are not just to do with ageingbut are the typical effects of deafblindness.Professionals are likely to use terms such as deafblind or dual sensory loss.The Deafblind Guidance uses these interchangeably to acknowledge thatthe combined loss of hearing and vision is significant for anyone, even ifhe or she still has some useful hearing and vision.Even if a person doesn’tuse the term deafblindabout themselves, we needto recognise the effects ofdeafblindness and offersupport and services to meetthose needs. Be aware ofthe language a person usesabout themselves and adaptyour own to reflect whatthey are comfortable with.4
How many older people are affected?Sense commissioned independent, expert research on the numbersof deafblind people in 2010. The Centre for Disability Researchreport found that the deafblind population has been significantlyunderestimated. 62% of the deafblind population is aged over70 and the numbers will increase dramatically over the next20 years as a result of the ageing population.• 356,000 deafblind people in the UK• Of which,• 220,000 people over the age of 70 have significantcombined visual impairment and hearing lossFuture explosion in numbers by 2030• 569,000 deafblind people in the UK, a 60% increase• Of which,• 418,000 will be people over the age of 70 have significantcombined visual impairment and hearing loss(Sense/CeDR, 2010)• Older people with vision and hearing loss from minoritycommunities are poorly represented in statistics but it is likelythat the incidence is similar to that of white British communities.These figures show how common dual sensory loss is amongolder people. You are probably already in contact with some olderpeople with dual sensory loss. Read on to find out how you canmake your services accessible to them and promote independenceand choice.You are probably alreadyin contact with someolder people with dualsensory loss5
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Fill in the Gaps > Too many older people who are deafblind ... - Sense

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