Didactic Content and Experiential Aging Simulation for Developing Patient-Centered Strategies and Empathy for Older Adults

Abstract

The number of people over 65 years of age is increasing, and many of those individuals will have sensorineural hearing loss in addition to other chronic health conditions. Future hearing health care providers need to be sensitive to the needs of elderly patients. The purpose of this article is to describe an experiential learning curriculum used in the Doctor of Audiology program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The curriculum uses simulations of sensory disorders common in the elderly to transform knowledge and active experience into patient-centered, empathetic counseling skills and strategies to use with older adults with hearing loss.

Keywords

Counseling - experiential learning - aging simulation

• References

• 1 Ortman JM, Velkoff VA, Hogan H. An aging nation: the older population in the United States. 2014. Available at: https://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1140.pdf . Accessed September 1, 2017
• 2 Panaszek B, Machaj Z, Bogacka E, Lindner K. Chronic disease in the elderly: a vital rationale for the revival of internal medicine. Pol Arch Med Wewn 2009; 119 (04) 248-254
• 3 Atorowitz A, Brennan M, Su Y. Dual Sensory Impairment among the Elderly (AARP Andrus Foundation Final Report). New York, NY: Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute, Lighthouse International; 2001
• 4 Smith SL, Bennett LW, Wilson RH. Prevalence and characteristics of dual sensory impairment (hearing and vision) in a veteran population. J Rehabil Res Dev 2008; 45 (04) 597-609
• 5 Kolb DA. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1984
• 6 Zagar M, Baggarly S. Simulation-based learning about medication management difficulties of low-vision patients. Am J Pharm Educ 2010; 74 (08) 146
• 7 Samra R, Griffiths A, Cox T, Conroy S, Knight A. Changes in medical student and doctor attitudes toward older adults after an intervention: a systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc 2013; 61 (07) 1188-1196
• 8 Lucchetti AL, Lucchetti G, de Oliveira IN, Moreira-Almeida A, da Silva Ezequiel O. Experiencing aging or demystifying myths? Impact of different “geriatrics and gerontology” teaching strategies in first year medical students. BMC Med Educ 2017; 17 (01) 35
• 9 Zagar M, Baggarly S. Low vision simulator goggles in pharmacy education. Am J Pharm Educ 2010; 74 (05) 83
• 10 Blumsack JT. Audiological assessment, rehabilitation, and spatial hearing considerations associated with visual impairment in adults: an overview. Am J Audiol 2003; 12: 76-83
• 11 Brabyn JA, Schneck ME, Haegerstrom-Portnoy G, Lott LA. Dual sensory loss: overview of problems, visual assessment, and rehabilitation. Trends Amplifi 2007; 11: 219-226
• 12 Brennan M, Bally SJ. Psychosocial adaptations to dual sensory loss in middle and late adulthood. Trends Amplif 2007; 11: 281-300
• 13 Singh G, Pichora-Fuller K, Hayes D, von Schroeder HP, Carnahan H. The aging hand and the ergonomics of hearing aid controls. Ear Hear 2012; 34: e1-e13