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Age-related hearing loss: quality of care for quality of life
- Author:
- LI-KOROTKY Ha-Sheng
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 52(2), April 2012, pp.265-271.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a major public health problem, resulting in reduced speech understanding, for millions of geriatric patients. ARHL is the third most prevalent chronic condition in older Americans, after hypertension and arthritis, and is a leading cause of adult hearing handicaps in the United States. Between 25-40% of the population aged 65 years and older is hearing impaired, and the prevalence is expected to rise with the increasing ageing Baby Boomer population. Despite this, ARHL remains an often undetected, underestimated and neglected condition due to the slow development process of the disease. The consequences of ARHL (social isolation, reduced environmental stimulation and depression) may aggravate cognitive decline. Health care professionals who serve the geriatric population need to understand the fundamental ARHL-associated changes that affect auditory and cognitive processing of speech and aural communication, in order to improve the quality of hearing health care and the overall quality of life of the Baby Boomer generation. The purpose of this review is to raise the awareness of ARHL, to update understanding of ARHL with a focus on age-related deficits in auditory and cognitive processing of speech, and to explore strategies of prevention, identification, amplification, and aural rehabilitation.
Improving practice in communication with older people and support networks living in housing with care schemes: aspirations and ambitions
- Authors:
- MANTHORPE Jill, SAMSI Kritika
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 42(8), 2012, pp.1495-1512.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
In the UK, the options relating to housing with care will likely increase, as they promote choice and independence. If housing with care services offer end-of-life care to their service users, their staff will need to engage with social workers and other professional networks and these professionals will need to understand the context and ethos of housing with care provision. In order to investigate whether existing literature will assist professional communication across sectors, a scoping literature review was conducted. Findings were grouped into themes, according to the project brief, focusing on: confidence and skills, making decisions and plans, and access to support and training. Several elements were identified as potentially supportive of staff confidence, such as obtaining biographical information, mutually respectful working relationships, managerial support and better understanding of specialist communication needs.
Better communication within
- Authors:
- COWLEY Sophie, WARD Liz
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 30.10.12, 2012, p.16.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Care home residents require support from a range of staff and organisations, however communication between these organisations is often poor. The Care Home Connect programme, an initiative of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement which is working to improve communications across all parts of the system is briefly described. One aspect of the programme involves bringing together residents, relatives and staff from across the system to understand different experiences of communication and interaction.
Difficulties in disclosing the diagnosis of dementia: a qualitative study in general practice
- Authors:
- PHILLIPS Jill, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of General Practice, 62(601), August 2012, pp.415-416.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of General Practitioners
Dementia research indicates that GPs find communicating diagnosis problematic. Delays in diagnosis may impede optimal patient care. This study investigated GPs’ perceptions of barriers to disclosing the diagnosis of dementia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs from three capital cities and one regional centre in Australia. Findings revealed that GPs' lack of confidence in having a correct diagnosis, concern to act in patients' best interests, and the stigma associated with the ‘dementia’ label influenced the disclosure process. GPs found it challenging to identify dementia in the consultation context. It was difficult to raise the issue when both the patient and their carers were unaware of symptoms of cognitive decline. Referral to a specialist was favoured to confirm suspicions, although this did not always result in a definitive diagnosis. Opinions differed as to whether the GP or the specialist was better placed to deliver the diagnosis. GPs preferred disclosure to the patient with his/her family/carer(s) present; associated issues of confidentiality and the importance of offering hope emerged.
Confident2care
- Authors:
- HENDERSON Mary, comp.
- Publisher:
- Dargan Publications; Care2Share NI
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Place of publication:
- Newtownabbey
This booklet provides information and resources to help carers build their confidence and skills. It has four main sections. These cover the Caring role, including; Dealing with Change, which highlights the importance of self-care, assertiveness, managing stress and good communication; Managing financial and legal issues; and Future Caring Options. It is one of a series of three booklets developed specifically for carers of friends or relatives and those working in the caring profession. The series aims to help meet the challenges of caring, whilst also balancing these responsibilities with a carers own wellbeing.
Informal social interaction among residents with dementia in special care units: Exploring the role of the physical and social environments
- Authors:
- CAMPO Michael, CHAUDHURY Habib
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 11(3), May 2012, pp.401-423.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The importance of meaningful social interaction in the lives of dementia sufferers is widely recognised but relatively little of this research has examined the impact of the environment in dementia care settings. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to identify and explore key elements of the physical and social environments that act as facilitators or barriers for social interaction among people with dementia living in special care units SCU). SCUs are designed to address the specific and often complex needs of those living with dementia. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with staff members and completed a series of resident observations at two SCUs in Vancouver. The following factors appeared to be influential for prompting or supporting informal social interactions; staff work roles, resident group size, non-institutional character and ambience of the home, the nursing station location, and adequate seating and sightlines. Implications for practice are discussed and include design recommendations for physical environments that foster informal social interactions among people in dementia care environments.
Relatedness among people diagnosed with dementia: Social cognition and the possibility of friendship
- Authors:
- SABAT Steven R., LEE Joanna M.
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 11(3), May 2012, pp.315-327.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The social relatedness of people in the moderate stage of dementia is explored. The authors report on the ways in which people diagnosed with dementia attending an adult day centre in the US developed patterns of what appeared outwardly to be positive social interaction and sustained and supportive communication. They go on to explore the possible meaning of this for the social lives of dementia sufferers in other settings such as long term care. The observations were made over a four month period. Mutually desired, independently initiated, supportive social relationships were observed revealing meaning-driven behaviour that would not have been predicted by the criteria that contributed to their diagnosis. Losses in social functioning described in the clinical diagnosis of dementia appear to be caused more by social dynamics involving healthy others than by brain injury alone. Implications for the non-pharmacological treatment of people with dementia are explored and discussed within the context of positive person.
Let’s chat: collaborative reminiscence
- Author:
- THORNE Carol
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing and Residential Care, 14(6), June 2012, pp.311-313.
- Publisher:
- MA Healthcare Ltd.
- Place of publication:
- London
Many older people face communication difficulties as a result of hearing and visual impairments, fluctuating memory and confusion, or speech or language difficulties. Conversation in care homes, generated by collaborative reminiscence, can encourage social interaction in these challenging situations. Group reminiscence sessions aim to recreate something of the experience of sitting at the kitchen table with tea and biscuits talking about family events. Aided by more than one reminiscence worker, they provide a relaxed, harmonious atmosphere, where each member of the group is supported to contribute as fully as they are able. This article provides some practical tips to holding reminiscence sessions. The room, lighting, heating, seating arrangements, topics introduced, and the dynamic relationships between members of the group all need to be considered. Objects can be introduced to stir memories. Overall, the group aims to become one of contented equals who are able to gently share conversation while recalling times in their earlier lives.
Rethinking sociability in long-term care: An embodied dimension of selfhood
- Author:
- KONTOS Pia C.
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 11(3), May 2012, pp.329-346.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The author argues for an expansion of the discourse on sociability to include embodied self-expression as contained in the theoretical notion of “embodied selfhood”. Embodied selfhood is the pre-reflective nature of selfhood deriving from the body's pre-reflective capacity for engaging with the world and the socio-cultural significance of the body. This paper calls for the discourse on sociability in dementia to include embodied selfhood as a source of interactive practices. An 8-month ethnographic study of selfhood in dementia was conducted in a Canadian long-term care facility. Chai Village is an orthodox Jewish care facility accommodating 472 residents. The majority suffered with Alzheimer’s disease and a smaller number of residents had vascular dementia. Thirteen residents took part in the study. The findings are discussed in terms of empathy, social etiquette, and the power of gesture. The observations suggest that social and cultural habits, movements and other physical cues serve important communicative functions in the course of social interaction. The author believes this underscores how sociability is an embodied dimension of selfhood, which not only broadens the discourse on sociability in dementia but also offers important insights to inform person-centred dementia care.
Achieving excellence in person-centred living
- Author:
- HURTLEY Rosemary
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing and Residential Care, 14(2), February 2012, pp.99-102.
- Publisher:
- MA Healthcare Ltd.
- Place of publication:
- London
The 360 Standard Framework is a tool developed to help care homes to go beyond meeting basic standards of care to achieving excellence through person-centred outcomes. The article explores the 360 Standard Framework, where positive relationships between and among residents, staff and residents are seen as central to the quality of life experience of all. The article then considers how the framework is used to diagnose the cultures from the perspective of residents, staff and relatives and also comments on the results of one evaluation to help care homes move towards excellence in person-centred living.