Supporting healthy hearing and vision

The Research Institute team is working with The University of Queensland (UQ) to find new ways to support residents and clients experiencing sensory loss.

Hearing and vision play a vital role in overall wellbeing and independence. Through the ‘SENSE-Cog’ project, researchers are seeking to understand the prevalence of hearing and vision loss among older people and trial an intervention to help.

As part of the project, Senior Research Fellow Dr Carly Meyer and UQ researcher Dr Melinda Toomey have been visiting some of our Queensland retirement villages to discuss the impact of hearing and vision on wellbeing and share simple strategies for maintaining healthy eyes and ears. 

At the end of the session, eligible residents are invited to take part in the study, beginning with hearing and vision screening tests. If any problems are detected, participants can then trial a range of sensory support interventions under the guidance of the research team.

Dr Meyer said the research findings would help support the many Australians who experience hearing and vision loss as they get older.

“Hearing and vision impairment can have significant impacts on a person’s wellbeing, and this project aims to address these issues to improve their quality of life,” she said. 

Another Research Institute project is already achieving positive outcomes for clients, using personal amplification devices to improve communication and comfort during in-home nursing assessments.

Clinical Nurse Consultant from home and community support (HCS) team Kylie Walters said the devices were helpful when assessing a client’s cognitive ability as hearing difficulties can exacerbate symptoms often mistaken for dementia.

“When assessing clients, we need to ask: what’s causing their memory lapses, social withdrawal or health decline? Is it dementia, hearing loss or something a doctor can address,” she said.

“Using amplification devices during assessments has been a positive experience for clinicians and clients, helping improve both concentration and understanding of questions.”

Following a successful pilot last year, the devices are now an everyday part of the HCS nursing team’s toolbox to support and enhance client communication and care.

Featured image: Village Manager Peter O’Driscoll was delighted to welcome Senior Research Fellow Carly Meyer and UQ researcher Dr Melinda Toomey to Bongaree village in February.  
Inline image 1: Clinical Nurse Consultant Kylie Walters uses amplification devices to support client communication during nursing assessments.