NCT04659967

Hearing Loss and Communication Needs in a Group Care Setting for Older Adults

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Amherst · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a multicomponent hearing care intervention for the PACE staff members in order to learn more about communication and engagement.

Detailed description

The long-term objective of this proposal is to increase the accessibility and affordability of hearing loss treatment for older adults with hearing loss, with a particular interest in adults that have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) in persons with MCI or dementia may exacerbate dementia-related symptoms such as depression, apathy, agitation/aggression. Moreover, engagement and activity participation are recognized as critical aspects of dementia care management, but those individuals who also experience ARHL are at a disadvantage. A pilot testing of behavioral communication intervention will be completed at multiple Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) sites in New England. A multicomponent hearing care intervention will be tested that includes staff training and non-custom personal amplification use with older adults in a group care setting. This feasibility study will lead to the refinement of the intervention protocols to be used in a future grant application that will test the real-world efficacy of the intervention.

Conditions

• Age-related Hearing Loss

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Virtual Training	Participants will receive a virtual training that is tailored to age-related hearing loss, use of non-custom personal amplification devices, and communication strategies.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-12-02
• Primary completion: 2021-11-22
• Completion: 2023-06-30
• First posted: 2020-12-09
• Last updated: 2022-05-06

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: United States