“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
Creators: name: Cross, Hannah
name: Armitage, Christopher J.
name: Clayton-Turner, Angela
name: Barker, Sandra
name: Dawes, Piers
name: Leroi, Iracema
name: Millman, Rebecca E.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: Hearing loss is highly prevalent in long-term care home (LTCH) residents with dementia (“residents”) and exacerbates confusion and communication difficulties. Residents rely on caregivers, including family, for hearing-related care. This study aims to understand the drivers of family caregivers’ provision of hearing support to LTCH residents using the Behaviour Change Wheel. This exploratory two-stage study was guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). A self-report survey (<i>N</i> = 87) and interviews (<i>N</i> = 6) explored drivers behind the provision of hearing support. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a within-participants ANOVA. Deductive coding of TDF domains alongside thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Provision of hearing support was variable. Gaps in family caregivers’ psychological capability, reflective motivation and physical opportunity were identified. Barriers included lacking knowledge, unclear caregiver responsibilities, deprioritising hearing support, COVID-19 restrictions and fragmented collaborations with audiology services. Future behaviour-change interventions to facilitate family caregivers’ provision of hearing support to LTCH residents should include: Improving knowledge of how to provide effective hearing support, establishing caregiver responsibilities and increasing the resources for hearing support within LTCHs. Interventions to aid family caregivers in providing hearing support for their relative with dementia should be designed to address gaps in capabilities, opportunities and motivations, as barriers are present in all three constructs.Audiologists should signpost family caregivers to educational resources about traditional hearing aids and assistive listening devices to be used within the long-term care homes (LTCH) and understand the benefits of domiciliary audiology appointments for LTCH residents.Care staff and family to discuss roles and responsibilities for hearing support and document these in care plans when the resident first moves to the LTCH e.g., accompanying resident to external audiology appointments. Interventions to aid family caregivers in providing hearing support for their relative with dementia should be designed to address gaps in capabilities, opportunities and motivations, as barriers are present in all three constructs. Audiologists should signpost family caregivers to educational resources about traditional hearing aids and assistive listening devices to be used within the long-term care homes (LTCH) and understand the benefits of domiciliary audiology appointments for LTCH residents. Care staff and family to discuss roles and responsibilities for hearing support and document these in care plans when the resident first moves to the LTCH e.g., accompanying resident to external audiology appointments.