Exploring Professionals’ Experiences in the Rehabilitation of Older Clients with Dual-Sensory Impairment

Fraser, Sarah; Southall, Kenneth; Wittich, Walter

doi:10.1017/s0714980819000035

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In line with the study findings of Browning (2015), McDonnall et al (2016), Crowe et al (2019), our study also calls for education of service providers regarding the distinct needs and challenges of older adults with DSI and how to tailor services accordingly (McDonnall et al, 2016;Crowe et al, 2019). To improve rehabilitative outcomes for the older adults with DSI, it is imperative to educate and train healthcare and rehabilitation service providers on DSI Browning, 2002, 2015;Saunders and Echt, 2007;McDonnall et al, 2016;Wittich et al, 2016a;Jaiswal et al, 2018;Fraser et al, 2019b). Given that most communication relies on both auditory and visual input in the form of verbal speech and non-verbal cues, enhancing patientprovider communication is highlighted as an important approach to accommodate the distinct sensory needs of older adults with DSI (Saunders and Echt, 2007;Fraser et al, 2019b).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: The proportion of older adults with combined acquired vision and hearing impairments (referred to as Dual Sensory Impairment/DSI) is growing, and their unique care needs are beginning to receive increased attention. Considering the age-related demographic shift, one million older adults in Canada are expected to experience DSI by 2036, and evidence suggests that DSI is associated with communication difficulties, cognitive decline, depression, functional decline, and participation challenges. Given that the goal of sensory rehabilitation is to improve participation, the study explored perceived contextual barriers and facilitators of social participation among older adults with DSI to better understand their lived experience. Methods: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as a framework to identify and describe the contextual factors (environmental and personal) that influence the social participation of older adults with DSI. Sixteen older adults with DSI (mean age = 86 years, SD = 7; 9 female; registered with an urban sensory rehabilitation organization) were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using a content analysis approach. Results: Environmental factors, such as societal attitudes toward disability, access to technology aids, and availability of transportation services emerged as the most important factors influencing participation. The onset and type of the impairments and attitude toward one's disability were important personal factors affecting the participation. The availability of social support and the use of assistive devices (e.g., magnifiers, glasses, and hearing aids) were reported to be facilitators. In contrast, the inaccessibility of the built environment and the cost and limited availability of accessible transportation were key barriers to their social participation.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…All clinicians should assess their own attitudes toward this population. Recent work83 with healthcare providers suggests that some professionals may not adopt stereotypical views of their clients. This work, in dual sensory impairment (DSI: combined hearing and vision losses), suggests that strong familiarity with a marginalised group (in this case older adults with DSI) can actually be an asset.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the professionals that were interviewed were strong advocates for their clients and generally did not seem to have a stereotypical approach to their clientele. However, several mentioned the daily public stigma their clients faced and that interactions with professionals not specifically trained in DSI often resulted in stereotypical responses 83…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stereotyping as a barrier to the social participation of older adults with low vision: a qualitative focus group study

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveIn order to better understand the barriers that limit the social participation of older people with low vision, the aim of this study was to describe and clarify the factors that shape the social participation of older adults with vision loss.MethodsAs part of a study on rehabilitation access barriers, six qualitative focus groups were conducted in a private room in a hospital, with 21 individuals with low vision (aged 38–92 years) who had or had not accessed low vision services. During the focus groups, participants often spoke of the challenges they faced when interacting with people with ‘normal’ vision; this discussion led to a modification of the interview guide in order to capture barriers to social participation. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed, and content analysis was conducted.ResultsContent analysis revealed that personal as well as environmental factors influenced the social participation of older adults with low vision. Four themes emerged: 1) experiencing the onset of impairment and degenerating ability, 2) the physical environment, 3) attitudes and responses from others and 4) individual internal attitude and responses during social interactions. Lived and perceived stigma from the perspective of the insider (person living with low vision) interacting with an outsider (person with ‘normal’ vision) and difficult environmental contexts were described as barriers to social participation and optimal functioning.ConclusionAt a personal level, transitioning from an outsider to an insider influenced self-identity and social participation. Further, insiders experiencing stereotypes associated with older adults who are blind had a negative impact on their social participation. Findings highlight the importance of stigma and stereotyping in the lived experience of older adults with low vision. Stigma is persistent, but strategies to reduce stigma will ultimately facilitate the social participation of older adults with low vision.

show abstract

“…Since DSL is a multidisciplinary disorder often involving assessment by optometrists, opthalmologists, audiologists and otolaryngologists as well as other medical and allied health professionals, interdisciplinary collaboration in identification, assessment and management of DSL and its associations is required to ameliorate the impact of DSL in older women. Education for professionals working with older adults with DSL is warranted to ensure collaborative care is adequately provided [56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older Women in Australia: Facing the Challenges of Dual Sensory Loss

Heine

Gong

Feldman

et al. 2019

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With the increase in longevity, the number of women living into old age is rising and higher than that of men. Data was derived from the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing Program, which included 533 women and 467 men aged 65 years and older, in Australia, over 10 years. Logistic regression modeling was used to investigate the prevalence of dual sensory loss and the unmet needs for vision and hearing devices in older women (compared to men) over time, as well as its impacts on self-reported general health, depression, perceived social activities, community service use and ageing in place. Results suggested that the prevalence of dual sensory loss increased for women from the age of 75 years and over. Dual sensory loss was higher for older women and men who were living alone, with government benefits as their main income source or were divorced, separated or widowed. Dual sensory loss had significant impacts on poor general health, perceived inadequate social activities and community service use for women and men and on depression for women only. Early identification of dual sensory loss is essential to minimize its effects, ensuring continued well-being for this population.

show abstract

Exploring Professionals’ Experiences in the Rehabilitation of Older Clients with Dual-Sensory Impairment

Cited by 11 publications

References 54 publications

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

Stereotyping as a barrier to the social participation of older adults with low vision: a qualitative focus group study

Older Women in Australia: Facing the Challenges of Dual Sensory Loss

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About