"I don't really know how to help her." Family caregivers' capabilities, opportunities and motivations to provide hearing support to long-term care home residents with dementia.
Hannah Cross, Christopher J Armitage, Angela Clayton-Turner and 4 others
PMID 39109812WHAT IT FOUND
Family caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia feel unable to support hearing because they lack knowledge of alternatives to hearing aids and clear responsibility.
They want guidance on communication techniques and devices, but face barriers like poor audiology access and staff collaboration.
Key findings
01Most family caregivers do not see themselves as responsible for hearing support, viewing it as staff work, yet they take responsibility for arranging audiology appointments.
02Caregivers lack knowledge of hearing support methods beyond hearing aids, which residents with dementia often reject or lose.
03Structural barriers, including lack of home-based audiology services and poor collaboration with care homes, prevent effective support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The interview sample was very small (n=6) and not representative, consisting entirely of White British women. Data collection occurred during COVID-19 lockdowns, which may have exaggerated barriers related to access, masks, and communication difficulties. Residents themselves were not interviewed due to ethical and practical restrictions, so their perspective is missing. The study relies on proxy reports from families, who may overestimate or misinterpret the frequency and quality of hearing support provided.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by the Alzheimer's Society, NIHR, and other research bodies.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low percentage of caregivers who see themselves as responsible (15.3%) as a lack of motivation or care. The findings show they are willing to arrange appointments and want more knowledge, but they are blocked by unclear roles and a lack of accessible, dementia-friendly audiology services.