Making Palliative Care Available to the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Communities

Hearing loss has been identified as a significant public health issue, and Global Partners in Care (GPIC) recognizes it as such. Our organization prioritizes inclusive access to palliative care and is working to make end-of-life care more accessible to all people, including the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. In honor of Deaf Awareness Month, let us touch on the importance of access to palliative care for those with hearing loss.

According to the World Health Organization, there are 1.5 billion people living with hearing loss throughout the world. In fact, approximately 30% of all adults over the age of 60 have some degree of hearing loss. These statistics highlight just how crucial access to palliative care is for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Still, research indicates that people with hearing loss have a limited understanding of their options when it comes to end-of-life care (Maddalena et al.). Separate research was performed to study deaf seniors, specifically. This study pinpointed the unique linguistic and cultural characteristics of the deaf community and the difficulties deaf individuals encounter when making informed decisions about end-of-life care. The inability to access information in their own language is the largest barrier that affects a deaf individual’s ability to understand his or her illness (Toboada). This makes it challenging to make informed decisions about end-of-life care. This is why it is extremely important that we make medical information available in sign language or in their written native language when caring for deaf patients.

Low deaf awareness among healthcare workers is another barrier blocking deaf people from accessing quality palliative care (Hodson et al.). The Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), Uganda’s National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), and Light for the World are working to change this. They created and shared helpful tools, “5 Tips for Supporting Deaf Persons in a Palliative Care Setting” and “Do’s and Don’ts When Interacting with Deaf Persons.”  These educational resources were made to equip palliative care providers with tools that can assist them when treating patients with hearing loss. PCAU has been a leader in furthering inclusive palliative care that truly reaches all in need.

We at GPIC understand that this important work does not stop here, and we are committed to work with our partners in furthering access to palliative care for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. We must stay diligent and remain open to suggestions from the deaf communities so that we may continue to work toward inclusion and increase accessibility to deaf patients throughout Africa and around the globe.