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...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lucas Wolski, Iracema Leroi, Jemma Regan, Piers Dawes, Anna Pavlina Charalambous, Chryssoula Thodi, Juliana Prokopiou, Roxane Villeneuve, Catherine Helmer, Abebaw Mengistu Yohannes, Ines Himmelsbach
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-12-01
Series:BMC Geriatrics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1336-3
id doaj-a318b58ee7b54415b2c72955928daaba
record_format Article
spelling 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
work_keys_str_mv AT lucaswolski theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT iracemaleroi theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT jemmaregan theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT piersdawes theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT annapavlinacharalambous theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT chryssoulathodi theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT julianaprokopiou theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT roxanevilleneuve theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT catherinehelmer theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT abebawmengistuyohannes theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT ineshimmelsbach theneedforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT lucaswolski needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT iracemaleroi needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT jemmaregan needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT piersdawes needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT annapavlinacharalambous needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT chryssoulathodi needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT julianaprokopiou needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT roxanevilleneuve needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT catherinehelmer needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT abebawmengistuyohannes needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
AT ineshimmelsbach needforimprovedcognitivehearingandvisionassessmentsforolderpeoplewithcognitiveimpairmentaqualitativestudy
_version_ 1724399218867568640