Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Acquired deafness
- Author:
- DENNY Mary
- Journal article citation:
- Elders the Journal of Care and Practice, 2(1), January 1993, pp.55-61.
This article highlights some of the emotional and social problems faced by elderly people with acquired deafness and some guidance on how to alleviate those problems in a practical way.
Older people who use BSL: preferences for residential care provision in Wales
- Authors:
- HUNT Ros, ORAM Rosemary, YOUNG Alys
- Publisher:
- University of Manchester
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 59p.
- Place of publication:
- Manchester
The Welsh Assembly Government has begun to consider whether there is a case for the establishment of a specialist, Sign Language medium, residential care provision for deaf people in Wales. Currently there is no care home provision in Wales where British Sign Language (BSL) is used as a matter of course. All deaf older people in Wales are placed in care environments where BSL is not routinely used by staff and where they are often the only deaf resident. The study comprised: 4 community consultations involving 32 deaf people throughout Wales; 6 stakeholder interviews with representatives of relevant specialist service providing organisations in Wales; and 7 individual interviews with older deaf people. The findings are discussed under the following headings: high levels of concern about the current situation; communication and language as pre-eminent issues; failure to meet cultural needs; the whole older people’s care spectrum; arguments for specialist residential care; and barriers to specialist residential care provision. The report concludes that there is a clear need to change current practice. Meeting deaf people’s linguistic and cultural needs should be the starting point in making decisions about future care provision, and in judging the efficacy and appropriateness of this care.
The communication and psychosocial perceptions of older adults with sensory loss: a qualitative study
- Authors:
- HEINE Chryssie, BROWNING Colette J.
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 24(1), January 2004, pp.113-130.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Sensory loss (visual and/or hearing loss) is prevalent in older adults. Decreased vision and/or hearing acuity often result in poor communication and psychosocial functioning. This qualitative study explores the communication and psychosocial perceptions of a group of older adults with single or dual sensory loss. The aims were to identify the communication difficulties and conversational strategies used by the subjects, and to explore their perceptions of their social adjustment, quality of life and physical and mental well-being. The participants were all older adults with sensory loss who attended the Vision Australia Foundation. In-depth interviews revealed that the participants experienced frequent communication difficulties. They identified the personal, situational and environmental triggers responsible for communication breakdown, and they described the compensation and avoidance strategies that they used. The participants acknowledged that frequent communication breakdown resulted in decreased socialisation. The problems of adjusting to sensory loss, depression, anxiety, lethargy and social dissatisfaction were cited as factors that affected their physical and mental well-being, while being optimistic, coping with their sensory loss, and maintaining social contact contributed to an improved quality of life. All participants expressed interest in being involved in further communication intervention programmes.
The impact of hearing loss on quality of life in older adults
- Authors:
- DALTON Dayna, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 43(5), October 2003, pp.661-668.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The authors investigate the impact of hearing loss on quality of life in a large population of older adults. Data are from the 5-year follow-up Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study, a population-based longitudinal study of age-related hearing impairment conducted in Beaver Dam, WI. Participants (N = 2,688) were 53-97 years old (mean = 69 years) and 42% were male. Difficulties with communication were assessed by using the Hearing Handicap for the Elderly-Screening version (HHIE-S), with additional questions regarding communication difficulties in specific situations. Health-related quality of life was assessed by using measures of activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Hearing loss measured by audiometry was categorized on the basis of the pure-tone average of hearing thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Of participants, 28% had a mild hearing loss and 24% had a moderate to severe hearing loss. Severity of hearing loss was significantly associated with having a hearing handicap and with self-reported communication difficulties. Individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss were more likely than individuals without hearing loss to have impaired ADLs and IADLs. Severity of hearing loss was significantly associated with decreased function in both the Mental Component Summary score and the Physical Component Summary score of the SF-36 as well as with six of the eight individual domain scores.
Using a phone: people with additional needs; promoting action
- Author:
- ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE
- Publisher:
- Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People
- Publication year:
- 1995
- Pagination:
- 9p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Summarises points emerging from a qualitative project involving 40 in-depth interviews about the telephone needs of disabled and older people and sets out the action needed based on the study findings.
Using a phone: people with additional needs; qualitative interviews with people with a range of disabilities
- Author:
- ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE
- Publisher:
- Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People
- Publication year:
- 1995
- Pagination:
- 83p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Report on telephone use by disabled and older people, based on user views. Assesses telecommunications needs, overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with current equipment and services and reasons for this, looks at the level of awareness of specialist services and equipment available, and identifies any aspirations people may have with regard to the telephone service in general and how these could be provided.
The informability manual: making information more accessible in the light of the Disability Discrimination Act
- Author:
- GREGORY Wendy
- Publisher:
- HMSO
- Publication year:
- 1996
- Pagination:
- 153p.,list of orgs.
- Place of publication:
- London
Manual explaining clearly the problems encountered by disabled people in gaining access to information. Provides guidance on the techniques and media which can be used to make information more accessible. Includes sections on: people with literacy problems; people who are deaf or hard of hearing; blind or partially sighted people; people who are deaf blind; people with learning difficulties; older people; using plain language; making all information accessible; print media; broadcast media; multi-media; telephones and helplines; and signage.