Grant: New Investigator - Priority Announcement: Nursing Research

Hearing loss is common among older adults and has a negative effect on communication. However, hearing loss often goes unrecognized or is accepted as a normal part of aging and disregarded. In Alzheimer disease, the most frequent cause of dementia, hearing loss makes cognitive deficits seem worse. Specifically, when people cannot hear normally, they may seem more confused than they really are because many of the behaviours caused by hearing loss (e.g., not paying attention, often asking people to repeat what they say, not staying on topic) are also behaviours caused by dementia. These added negative effects of hearing loss are referred to as excess disability. Excess disability is a particular problem in long-term care settings, where the majority of the residents have dementia. Interventions to reduce excess disability are necessary to improve the quality of life and the quality of care of individuals with dementia. In this study, we plan to evaluate the hearing of people with dementia who live in long-term care facilities and to determine the impact of an assistive listening device on communication during specific tasks. We will also interview long-term care staff members about their views on hearing loss and how it is identified and treated. This project will lay the groundwork for future research to improve the hearing, communication and, ultimately, the overall care of long-term care residents with dementia.