Effective communication is an important concern when working with individuals with hearing loss. This concern is apparent in the long-term elder care setting, where caregivers communicate with older adult patients every day, many of whom have hearing loss. However, there is limited training available to these caregivers working with residents with hearing loss. The purpose of this project is to establish the need and context for the development of an educational program for caregivers working with these residents with hearing loss. A total of 38 caregivers employed by three elder care facilities in Tucson, Arizona were surveyed. Results from this survey demonstrated that caregiver respondents felt they are knowledgeable and comfortable working with residents with hearing loss. However, there was an apparent gap as caregivers also reported that the presence of hearing loss among residents makes their jobs more difficult and stressful. Furthermore, they reported feeling that hearing loss impacts communication with residents and negatively effects the quality of care. Based on the findings of this survey, there is a need identified for educational opportunities for caregivers working with residents with hearing loss. The findings from this survey provide a foundation for the establishment of hearing health continuing education programs for caregivers working in long term elder care facilities. Specific recommendations regarding potential content of training programs are offered based on the survey findings. Implementation of caregiver trainings may ultimately lead to improved caregiver-resident communication and positively impact the quality of life for residents with hearing loss.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/625381 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Azmak, Lua, Azmak, Lua |
| Contributors | Marrone, Nicole, Marrone, Nicole, Dean, Jim, Muller, Thomas, Schwartz, Gary |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Electronic Dissertation |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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