Virtual Staff Training to Support Communication for Older Adults With Untreated Hearing Loss in Care Settings.

Purpose: The current quasi-experimental study aimed to develop and evaluate a virtual staff training on age-related hearing loss at a care organization for older adults.

Method: Training included the use of affordable headset amplifiers and a hands-on activity in which hearing loss was simulated. Staff were encouraged to offer amplifiers to assist in communication given the high prevalence of untreated hearing loss among older adults and the increased communication difficulty that results from mask-wearing.

Associations Between Age-Related Hearing Loss, Cognitive Impairment, and Multiple Chronic Conditions in a Group Care Setting.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between hearing loss, cognitive status, and a range of health outcomes over a period of 2 years in a sample of older adults who are enrolled in Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, which is a Medicare/Medicaid beneficiary program for individuals who are nursing home eligible but living in the community at time of enrollment.

Method: The sample ( = 144) includes a diverse (47% White/non-Hispanic, 35% Black/African American, and 16% Latin/Hispanic) group of adults ranging from 55 to 93 years old. We used medical chart data to measure respondents' cognitive and health status, including chronic conditions and hospital use.

A Mixed Methods Study of Hearing Loss, Communication, and Social Engagement in a Group Care Setting for Older Adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to characterize the communication needs of older adults in group care environments and understand the factors that foster engaged communication.

Method: This mixed methods study provides an in-depth analysis of communication and engagement for older adults at two Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) sites. Seventy-two PACE participants ( = 74 years) completed a hearing test, cognitive screener (MOST), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Measures of Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health Questionnaire, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

The Combined Burden of Hearing Loss and Cognitive Impairment in a Group Care Setting for Older Adults.

Purpose The purpose of the current study is to better characterize the medical and social health characteristics of older adults in a long-term group care setting and consider the impact of the dual burden of hearing loss and cognitive impairment. Method This descriptive analysis of a convenience sample of 160 adults ( = 74 years, age range: 59.8-99.