The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study
Abstract Background Hearing and vision (sensory) impairments are highly prevalent in people with dementia (PwD) and exacerbate the impact of living with dementia. Assessment of sensory or cognitive function may be difficult if people have concurrent dual or triple impairments. Most standard cognitiv...
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doaj-a318b58ee7b54415b2c72955928daaba2020-12-06T12:11:19ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182019-12-0119111210.1186/s12877-019-1336-3The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative studyLucas Wolski0Iracema Leroi1Jemma Regan2Piers Dawes3Anna Pavlina Charalambous4Chryssoula Thodi5Juliana Prokopiou6Roxane Villeneuve7Catherine Helmer8Abebaw Mengistu Yohannes9Ines Himmelsbach10Institute for Applied Sciences, Catholic University of Applied Sciences FreiburgGlobal Brain Health Institute, School of Medicine, Trinity College DublinDevon Partnership NHS Trust, Wonford HouseThe Department of Linguistics, Macquarie UniversityDepartment of Health Sciences, European University of CyprusDepartment of Health Sciences, European University of CyprusUniversity of CyprusUniversité de BordeauxUniversité de BordeauxDepartment of Physical Therapy, Azusa Pacific UniversityInstitute for Applied Sciences, Catholic University of Applied Sciences FreiburgAbstract Background Hearing and vision (sensory) impairments are highly prevalent in people with dementia (PwD) and exacerbate the impact of living with dementia. Assessment of sensory or cognitive function may be difficult if people have concurrent dual or triple impairments. Most standard cognitive assessment tests are heavily dependent on having intact hearing and vision, and impairments in these domains may render the assessments unreliable or even invalid. Likewise, dementia may impede on the accurate reporting of symptoms that is required for most hearing and vision assessments. Thus, there is an urgent need for hearing, vision and cognitive assessment strategies to be adapted to ensure that appropriate management and support can be provided. Objective To explore the perspectives of PwD and the care partners regarding the need for accurate hearing, vision and cognitive assessments. Methods We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews regarding the clinical assessment for cognitive, hearing and visual impairment. Participants (n = 18) were older adults with mild to moderate dementia and a sensory impairment as well as their care partners (e.g. a family member) (n = 15) at three European sites. The qualitative material was analysed according to Mayring’s summative content analysis approach. Results Participants reported that hearing, vision and cognitive assessments were not appropriate to the complex needs of PwD and sensory comorbidity and that challenges in communication with professionals and conveying unmet needs and concerns by PwD were common in all three types of clinical assessments. They felt that information about and guidance regarding support for the condition was not adequate in the assessments and that information sharing among the professionals regarding the concurrent problems was limited. Professionals were reported as being concerned only with problems related to their own discipline and had limited regard for problems in other domains which might impact on their own assessments. Conclusions The optimal assessment and support for PwD with multiple impairments, more comprehensive, yet easy to understand, information regarding these linked to conditions and corrective device use is needed. Communication among health care professionals relevant to hearing, vision and cognition needs to be improved.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1336-3Assessment toolsDementiaComorbidityVisual impairmentHearing lossQualitative research |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lucas Wolski Iracema Leroi Jemma Regan Piers Dawes Anna Pavlina Charalambous Chryssoula Thodi Juliana Prokopiou Roxane Villeneuve Catherine Helmer Abebaw Mengistu Yohannes Ines Himmelsbach |
spellingShingle |
Lucas Wolski Iracema Leroi Jemma Regan Piers Dawes Anna Pavlina Charalambous Chryssoula Thodi Juliana Prokopiou Roxane Villeneuve Catherine Helmer Abebaw Mengistu Yohannes Ines Himmelsbach The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study BMC Geriatrics Assessment tools Dementia Comorbidity Visual impairment Hearing loss Qualitative research |
author_facet |
Lucas Wolski Iracema Leroi Jemma Regan Piers Dawes Anna Pavlina Charalambous Chryssoula Thodi Juliana Prokopiou Roxane Villeneuve Catherine Helmer Abebaw Mengistu Yohannes Ines Himmelsbach |
author_sort |
Lucas Wolski |
title |
The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study |
title_short |
The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study |
title_full |
The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study |
title_fullStr |
The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study |
title_full_unstemmed |
The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study |
title_sort |
need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
BMC Geriatrics |
issn |
1471-2318 |
publishDate |
2019-12-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Hearing and vision (sensory) impairments are highly prevalent in people with dementia (PwD) and exacerbate the impact of living with dementia. Assessment of sensory or cognitive function may be difficult if people have concurrent dual or triple impairments. Most standard cognitive assessment tests are heavily dependent on having intact hearing and vision, and impairments in these domains may render the assessments unreliable or even invalid. Likewise, dementia may impede on the accurate reporting of symptoms that is required for most hearing and vision assessments. Thus, there is an urgent need for hearing, vision and cognitive assessment strategies to be adapted to ensure that appropriate management and support can be provided. Objective To explore the perspectives of PwD and the care partners regarding the need for accurate hearing, vision and cognitive assessments. Methods We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews regarding the clinical assessment for cognitive, hearing and visual impairment. Participants (n = 18) were older adults with mild to moderate dementia and a sensory impairment as well as their care partners (e.g. a family member) (n = 15) at three European sites. The qualitative material was analysed according to Mayring’s summative content analysis approach. Results Participants reported that hearing, vision and cognitive assessments were not appropriate to the complex needs of PwD and sensory comorbidity and that challenges in communication with professionals and conveying unmet needs and concerns by PwD were common in all three types of clinical assessments. They felt that information about and guidance regarding support for the condition was not adequate in the assessments and that information sharing among the professionals regarding the concurrent problems was limited. Professionals were reported as being concerned only with problems related to their own discipline and had limited regard for problems in other domains which might impact on their own assessments. Conclusions The optimal assessment and support for PwD with multiple impairments, more comprehensive, yet easy to understand, information regarding these linked to conditions and corrective device use is needed. Communication among health care professionals relevant to hearing, vision and cognition needs to be improved. |
topic |
Assessment tools Dementia Comorbidity Visual impairment Hearing loss Qualitative research |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1336-3 |
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