Sensory Loss

Some HIV+ people, especially older adults, report some loss of their sense of sight, hearing, or touch.

Sight
  • An occupational therapist can
    • do a home review to assess and overcome safety hazards
    • help you get access to tools such as a magnifier, large button phones, and computer software that use voice commands
    • work with your friends, family members, or caretakers to teach them how to help you get around better
    • help you organize things in your environment (e.g. clothes, food, or money) to make it easier to find what you need
    • recommend changes to your daily tasks to make your life easier, such as getting groceries delivered, or setting up auto-payment for regular bills
  • All rehabilitation professionals can suggest community groups that can provide support, such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
Other Rehabilitation Therapies
  • A social worker can
    • help you work through the emotional impact of sight loss
    • recommend changes to your daily tasks to make your life easier, such as getting groceries delivered, or setting up auto-payment for regular bills

Hearing

  • A speech-language pathologist can
    • help you find ways to improve your communication with others, such as reducing background noises, learning how to read non-verbal cues, and learning how to lead the conversation6
    • help you make sure that your speaking voice is not too loud or too quiet6
  • An occupational therapist can
    • recommend changes in lighting in the home so you can better see the other person’s non-verbal cues6
    • recommend changes to reduce other distracting noises in the home, such as adding carpets or unplugging appliances6
  • All rehabilitation professionals can suggest community groups that can provide support, such as the Canadian Hearing Society.

Touch

  • An occupational therapist or physiotherapist can teach safety techniques to prevent burning the skin on hot items (e.g. drawing a bath or shower, handling hot beverages like coffee or tea).
  • An occupational therapist can teach you how to monitor yourself for injuries or irritations that you might not be able to feel.