Abstract
Impaired hearing is related to poor health outcomes, including compromised cognitive
function, in aging individuals. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health
condition after arthritis and heart disease in older adults and the fourth most detrimental
condition related to quality of life in older adults. Only 18% of aging adults who
have impactful hearing loss actually use custom-fit amplification. Therefore, the
majority of aging individuals entering senior living facilities will have untreated
hearing loss. Older adults move to senior communities to maintain or increase their
social engagement, to receive care from qualified staff, and to ultimately enhance
their quality of life. We know that the majority of individuals over 65 years of age
have significant hearing loss, which leaves them with complex listening needs due
to low incidence of hearing aid use, group communication situations that are common
for social activities, interactive dining environments, and the need for telephone
use to connect with loved ones. Busy staff and family members may not be aware of
the impact of decreased hearing on quality of life, as well as caregiver burden. HearCARE
(Hearing and Communication Assistance for Resident Engagement) is an initiative to
provide communication assistance on a day-to-day basis in senior living facilities
in a cost-effective manner. This innovative model for delivering audiology services
and communication assistance in senior living communities employing communication
facilitators who are trained and supervised by an audiologist will be described. Data
related to the communication facilitator training, daily activities, interactions
with the audiologist, use of devices, and impact on residents, staff, and families
will be described.
Keywords
Aging - untreated hearing loss - cognition
