Hearing Care Intervention for Persons with Dementia: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Audiology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Hearing loss is a common, unmet need in adults with dementia, potentially worsening behavioral symptoms.
• Traditional audiology services are often inaccessible due to cost and time constraints for dementia patients.
• Novel, accessible service delivery models are needed for hearing treatment in dementia care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel hearing intervention for individuals with dementia and their family caregivers.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of the Memory-HEARS intervention in an outpatient setting.

Main Methods:

• The Memory-HEARS pilot study involved a 2-hour in-person intervention.
• Intervention included hearing screening, communication strategies, and use of an over-the-counter amplification device.
• Caregiver questionnaires assessed depression, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and burden at baseline and 1 month post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Caregivers found the intervention beneficial, with most dementia patients using the amplification device daily.
• Participants with high baseline symptom burden showed improvements in depression and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
• No significant effect was observed on caregiver burden, but qualitative data indicated improved patient engagement.

Conclusions:

• The Memory-HEARS intervention offers a low-cost, non-pharmacologic approach to managing hearing loss and behavioral symptoms in dementia.
• Improved communication through this intervention may reduce symptom burden and enhance quality of life for individuals with dementia.