Literature Review on Healthcare Access for Deaf Seniors

The “intersectionality of identities” is the idea that we all belong to multiple groups at once based on characteristics such as our age, race, gender and the presence of disabilities. Being a senior and being a member of the Deaf community have separately been shown to have an important impact on one's health, but what does the literature say about people who are both? Lesch et al. conducted a review of the literature and found that obstacles to healthcare were common for this group, including:

  1. Like younger Deaf, the elderly Deaf experience difficulty in making appointments, with the added burden of an increasing number and severity of healthcare issues
  2. Lack of providers who will accept Medicaid and Medicare insurance
  3. Lack of validated tests to assess the cognitive function of Deaf patients
  4. Lack of healthcare providers with competence in communicating with Deaf patients and understanding Deaf culture
  5. Lack of shared understanding around end of life decisions between healthcare providers and Deaf patients
  6. Lack of suitable accommodations for long-term care due to communication difficulties
Their recommendations for addressing these problems include:
  1. Clearly flagging the clinic files of Deaf individuals
  2. Making registries of certified  interpreters and technological solutions readily available
  3. Creating continuing education incentives for healthcare providers to learn to better communicate with their Deaf patients
  4. Rehabilitation centers and assisted living facilities should train staff and incorporate technology to become more inclusive to elderly Deaf clients
  5. Increased research on healthcare issues experienced by senior Deaf
  6. Recruitment of additional Deaf healthcare professionals



Paywalled
Lesch, H., Burcher, K., Wharton, T., Chapple, R., & Chapple, K. (2018). Barriers to healthcare services and supports for signing deaf older adults. Rehabil Psychol, doi: 10.1037/rep0000252.

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