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Hearing loss is prevalent in nursing homes, and communication by residents is reported to be restricted both in quality and quantity. Programs to manage hearing loss in nursing homes are uncommon, and residents are infrequently referred for assessment of communication dimulties. To understland this s i h d o n , it is necessary to consider how staffperceive residents' communication needs and diflculties.A questionnaire was completed by 140 staff in five nursing homes. They answered questions relnting to the prevalence and effects of hearing loss, residents' opportunities for communication, and the communication environment. Findings suggest that staff underestimate the prevalence of hearing loss, that they recognise some of the communicative obstacles encountered by residents, but that they are overly optimistic about residents' opportunities for communication and also the ability of staff to improve that communication. 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 negative effects also can be produced by other conditions associated with ageing and ill health. Making a differential diagnosis of the cause of communication difficulties of nursing home residents, however, probably is beyond the skills of all but a few highly trained professionals.The staff are aware of some of the obstacles to communication encountered by residents but are moderately optimistic about residents' opportunities for communication and also the ability of staff to Until procedures for skilled evaluation of hearing are more generally available in nursing homes, staff are likely to remain uncertain of the nature and origins of the communication difficulties experienced by many of the residents in their care and, as a result, remain unable to help them communicate more effectively. Programs to raise awareness among staff of the nature and prevalence of hearing loss in nursing homes are essential. Such programs are a necessary precursor to the implementation of hearing loss management strategies. Staff must appreciate fully how hearing loss and associated environmental factors contribute to the communication difficulties of residents, before other strategies (eg. use of hearing aids and other amplification devices) are likely to effective. In addition, further research is required into the communication patterns prevailing in nursing homes to identify situational factors that limit communication by residents, and into the nature of the communication environment and its effects on the success of those communications. Lindsuy

Course delivery mediated by information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly seen as a desirable and cost effective means of providing study opportunities to large numbers of teachers. However, it is unclear to what extent teachers have access to the ICT infrastructure that is required for participation in such study. This paper reports on a survey of teachers' access to ICT infrastructure and offers some insights into the nature and adequacy of that access. A sample of 203 trained teachers was surveyed regarding their access to hardware, software, and the Internet both at work and outside work. Data regarding access to technical support were collected also. Access to adequate levels of ICT infrastructure was not universal among teachers in this sample and access levels varied with teacher characteristics such as age and school type. Teachers in Government schools had slightly poorer levels of access, both at home and at school, when compared with teachers in independent schools. The most problematic area of access overall was in technical support which, when coupled with the reportedly low and variable levels of ICT skills among teachers, would represent a major impediment to successful and satisfactory participation in ICT mediated study for many teachers. These findings have important implications for developers of ICT mediated courses for teachers and for those who seek to encourage teachers' participation in such study.

Hearing and vision impairment are prevalent among older people in long‐term care, contributing to their communication difficulties. Data on 44,012 nursing home residents were obtained with the Resident Classification Instrument, a rating scale designed to determine each resident's need for nursing and personal care, and hence entitlement to Federal funding. Comparison with related studies suggests that nursing home staff in Australia underestimate the contribution hearing loss makes to the communication difficulties of the residents in their care. An alternative approach to the assessment of the communication needs of residents is recommended to permit a more accurate assessment of needs.

Hearing parents of young children newly diagnosed with a hearing loss typically know little of this condition or how it can best be managed. Information and assistance is available through early intervention programs. However, these take a variety of forms and offer different, sometimes conflicting, philosophies. The selection of an early intervention program is an important choice and one which requires parents to collect and assimilate large amounts of information and opinion. This must be done during what is, for most, a highly traumatic period. It is generally accepted that parents should make the major choices for themselves and their children, rather than have them made for them by experts, but that this should be done in a collaborative manner. This requires that the relevant experts are able and willing to provide information and advice which is balanced, comprehensible, and appropriate to the needs and abilities of the parents -that is, information and advice which is helpful. This study surveyed parents who had been through the early intervention process to identify the sources from which they obtained their information, and their perceptions of the helpfulness of the information provided.