This document describes two projects - Project SIGMA from 2006-2009 and Project GIA - that examined services for deaf elderly people in Germany. Project SIGMA found that deaf elderly have less family support and more isolation. They lack information about services due to inaccessible formats. Healthcare professionals have little knowledge of deaf needs. Project GIA then aimed to improve services for deaf elderly through two competence centers that would provide consulting, information, and networking to better serve deaf elderly individuals and connect them to appropriate care options. However, establishing and funding such centers remains a challenge.

1. The Deaf Elderly:
Inclusion, Participation and Social Care
Funded by

2. Inhalt
1. Initial Situation: Project SIGMA
– goals
– methods
– results
– consequences
2. Project GIA
– goals
– levels of action

3. Inhalt
University of Cologne
Faculty of Human Sciences
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation
 Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaul
 Frank Menzel (†)
 Anne Gelhardt
 Nele Büchler

4. Project SIGMA:
Situation of Deaf Elderly People
2006 - 2009
Customer

5. Research Objectives: SIGMA
• Exploration of the living conditions and individual
resources of elderly Deaf people
• Eamination of Quality and Quantity of services and
measures for elderly Deaf people
– Information and Consulting
– Health Care
– Living in old age
– Education and leisure options
– Supply by care needs and dementia

6. Who was surveyed?
Target groups Methods
Deaf people aged 55 and over Qualitative interviews
with approx.. 40 persons
Experts, who have contact to elderly
Deaf people
- Open single and groupinterviews
- Written survey (Internet)
Institutions and organisations, who
counsell and consult elderly Deaf
people
- Nursing and retirement homes
(representative survey)
- Specific living supplies for elderly Deaf
people für gehörlose (total survey)

7. Results: resources
• The family network is not highly meshed.
• The is a close network with the Deaf community.
• The Deaf community is active! (senior clubs, consulting,
information, volontary and honorary work,...)
• If mobility is reduced, the contact and access to the Deaf
community is very difficult or impossible.
• Elderly Deaf people are more isolated.

8. Results: Access to information
• Deaf people are not well informed about supply, offers
and legal claims and rights.
• General information are not accessible.
• Specific Information in sign language is rare.

9. Results: Knowledge in
institutions
• Healthcare professionals are not well informed about the
specific and communicative needs of elderly Deaf people.
• This lack of knowledge leads to a not appropriate care.
• Legal claims and rights will not be exercised.

10. Results: Healthcare
• There are only some specific offers and supply for elderly
Deaf people, which take the specific needs into account.
• In most cases there is no possibility to get a specific and
appropriate healthcare.
• Itis always hard for Deaf people to make decisions to stay
where they live – without specific support – or to go to
an institution (in another town) where they get an
appropriate supply

11. What must be done?

12. Recommanded actions
1. Structural development: Extension of
specific offers and networks
2. Information, explanation and awareness
3. Quality management: Qualification and
standardisation

13. Pilot project GIA: (The Eldery Deaf)
Competence Center for Elderly Deaf
People (with Dementia)
Auftraggeber

14. Goals
Improving the supply and support for eldery Deaf
People (with dementia)
• Better access to general offers for elderly peoply
• Expansion of the specific offers and supply for
elderly Deaf people

15. Content
• Design, testing and evaluation of two
competence centres
• Development of information material
• Creating recommendations of action

16. Competence centres
Design, testing and evaluation of two
competence centres

17. Competence Centres: Target Groupes
• Elderly Deaf people
• Relatives and other related persons of elderly Deaf
people
• Institutions, professionals und associations health
and nursing care
• Institutions, professionals und associations of the
Deaf

18. Kompetenzzentren: Leistungen
 Beratung und Vermittlung
 Information und Aufklärung
 Vernetzung und Entwicklung

19. Consulting
Examples:
•Support to find appropriate offers (i.e. healthcare, nursing, ....)
• Consulting of institution, which want to set up a specific offer for Deaf
people.

20. Information
Examples
• Organizing and performing of informatin events for elderly Deaf
people:
• How will I live in old age?
• What is a patient decee?
• What is dementia?
• Collectiong and developing of appropriate information material

21. Development and Networks
Support examples:
•Planning, design and implementation of trainings for Deaf volunteers
(i.e. accompainment of Deaf people with dementia)
•Planning, design and implementation of specific offers for elderly Deaf
people (i.e. sign language based).

22. Challenges
In times of resource shortages it is
very difficult to convince politicians
to support and - last but not least - to
finance necessary competence
centres.