What is the first step to take when a hearing-impaired patient with a hearing aid struggles to hear your questions?

The first step to take when a hearing-impaired patient with a hearing aid struggles to hear your questions is to ensure that the hearing aid is turned on. This is a critical initial measure because if the hearing aid is not functioning, any further communication attempts will be ineffective. Checking the hearing aid helps establish that it is operational before moving on to other communication strategies.

If the hearing aid is off or its battery is dead, the patient won’t be able to hear regardless of how clearly or loudly you speak. Once you confirm that the hearing aid is on and working properly, you can then assess if other methods of communication are necessary. This approach emphasizes the importance of confirming the functionality of assistive devices as part of effective communication with patients who have hearing impairments.