Adapting a sensory support intervention for older adults with sensory impairment for the Australian home care setting
| Sunday, November 3, 2024 |
| 2:15 PM - 2:25 PM |
| Panorama Rooms 2 & 3 |
Overview
Dr Melinda Toomey
Speaker
Dr Marianne Piano
Research Fellow
Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne
Adapting a sensory support intervention for older adults with sensory impairment for the Australian home care setting
Abstract
Introduction
The Sense-Cog Sensory Support Intervention (SSI), a home-based multi-session program developed for older Europeans with dementia to support their sensory needs, was adapted to support older Australians receiving home care services.
Method
An iterative codesign process with 13 hearing/vision impaired older adults, 3 informal caregivers, 7 hearing, vision or home care professionals, and 3 Community advisors was conducted. Sensory support care needs were identified via interviews with older adults and informal caregivers. Workshops explored if SSI met those needs and whether any modifications were required. Results were collated and analysed to identify themes that informed the adapted intervention.
Results
Needs included information to navigate hearing/vision services, support for overcoming daily living challenges, and strategies to overcome communication, emotional and social challenges of living with sensory impairment. The SSI was deemed to meet those needs, with the following modifications: behaviour change strategies to promote uptake of the intervention, adapting the resources to include local providers, expanding device training to cover accessibility features of smartphones and other non-hearing/vision aids, and integrated referrals and information sharing between professionals.
Conclusion
The Sense-Cog SSI was adapted to the Australian home care context. with modifications to enhance the appropriateness of the intervention for Australian home care settings
The Sense-Cog Sensory Support Intervention (SSI), a home-based multi-session program developed for older Europeans with dementia to support their sensory needs, was adapted to support older Australians receiving home care services.
Method
An iterative codesign process with 13 hearing/vision impaired older adults, 3 informal caregivers, 7 hearing, vision or home care professionals, and 3 Community advisors was conducted. Sensory support care needs were identified via interviews with older adults and informal caregivers. Workshops explored if SSI met those needs and whether any modifications were required. Results were collated and analysed to identify themes that informed the adapted intervention.
Results
Needs included information to navigate hearing/vision services, support for overcoming daily living challenges, and strategies to overcome communication, emotional and social challenges of living with sensory impairment. The SSI was deemed to meet those needs, with the following modifications: behaviour change strategies to promote uptake of the intervention, adapting the resources to include local providers, expanding device training to cover accessibility features of smartphones and other non-hearing/vision aids, and integrated referrals and information sharing between professionals.
Conclusion
The Sense-Cog SSI was adapted to the Australian home care context. with modifications to enhance the appropriateness of the intervention for Australian home care settings
Biography
Marianne qualified as an orthoptist in 2008 from University of Liverpool. After some time in clinical practice, diagnosing and managing binocular vision and ocular motility disorders in children and adults, she completed a Masters in Research at the University of Liverpool and moved to Glasgow Caledonian University to study visual distortions arising in amblyopia for her PhD. After completing her PhD which was strongly focused on clinical research, she coordinated the first UK randomised controlled trial evaluating video game-based perceptual learning as a treatment for children with amblyopia. She moved to the University of Surrey in June 2016 to train in health services research, maintaining her clinical orthoptic research through funded projects evaluating binocular vision in skilled video game players and people living with dementia respectively. Marianne has recently commenced a joint post as a Clinical Vision Research Fellow, working between the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences and the Australian College of Optometry's National Vision Research Institute
