Waiting for the Individual Sound Amplification Device

The Experience of the CONVIVER Group Through the Eyes of a Speech-Language Pathology Resident

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss is the second most common disability worldwide, and is most often associated with presbycusis, a natural aging process. Currently, there are interventions that can improve the quality of life of people with this condition, one of which is the creation of multidisciplinary Health Education groups. Experience Report: The objective of this study is to report the experience of a speech-language pathology resident in the creation, planning, and management of the CONVIVER group, created for People with Hearing Impairment who are awaiting the provision of Individual Sound Amplification Devices, developed at Alberto Santos Dumont Teaching and Research Institute, located at Macaíba/RN. Discussion: Multidisciplinary groups in health services are a powerful tool for care and empowerment. Therefore, the management was based on Family-Centered Care, an approach that promotes the subject’s autonomy over their own health process, combined with the practice of Health Education. In this context, speech-language pathology has become a character capable of conducting health care in the social, collective, educational, and preventive context. Final considerations: The resident’s experience was unique for understanding the group as a driver of mental health for individuals with hearing loss and, furthermore, an effective tool in the process of hearing rehabilitation and user empowerment. Thus, it can be a model replicated in other health services, aiming at the multiplication of knowledge.