Question

A 92-year-old client who is very hard of hearing is hospitalized. Which action by the nurse is appropriate when conducting the admission interview and assessment of the client?

1. Use a cotton swab to clean cerumen in the client's ear before the interview.
2. Speak louder into the client's ear determined to have better hearing.
3. Maintain normal pitch of the voice and face the client during the interview.
4. Put new batteries in the hearing aid to ensure proper functioning.

Answer 1

The nurse should maintain a normal pitch and face the client while speaking during the admission interview to aid in communication with a hard-of-hearing elder. Avoiding potentially harmful actions like using cotton swabs and preferring visual and clear verbal cues are important in this context.

Step-by-step explanation:

When conducting an admission interview and assessment of a 92-year-old client who is very hard of hearing, the nurse should maintain normal pitch of the voice and face the client during the interview. This approach facilitates lip-reading and allows for better comprehension, as the client can also rely on visual cues. Changing the batteries in the client's hearing aid before the interview may be helpful if the client uses one, but it is not an immediate nursing action for communication. Using a cotton swab to clean cerumen in the client's ear is potentially dangerous and should be avoided. It is also better to maintain a normal volume and instead focus on speaking clearly and directly to the client, rather than simply speaking louder, as increasing volume does not always improve understanding and may even be counterproductive.