From: Palliative Medicine
It is well documented that good communication is a vitally important issue to family members of a dying person. The challenges for a Deaf person in this situation are therefore often considerably greater. Estimates of the size of the Deaf community range from 100,000 to 1.8 million in the USA alone. American Sign Language is considered the third most commonly used language in the USA. It is clear Deaf people are a significant demographic and this case study highlights how their needs have been largely overlooked. There is limited research concerning healthcare for the Deaf community and even less regarding care at the end of life. This study offers a framework for future research and provides valuable guidance for clinicians.
