Maximizing Quality of Life
109 - Maximizing Quality of Life: Hearing and Sensory Disorders: All Ears & New Frontiers for Hearing and Sensory Impairment Research and the Significant Impact of Medically Tailored Meals for Elderly Adults
Monday, July 16
4:15 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: Diplomat Room-Lobby Level
Speaker(s)
-
-
-
-
Moderator(s)
-
Courtney Schrock, MPH
Health Communication & eHealth ORISE Fellow
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Elena Remillard, MS-Understanding User Needs for Individuals Aging with Mobility or Sensory Impairment
Lisa Zullig, MS, RDN, CSG, CDN-Food Is Medicine and Prevention: Medically Tailored Meals for Older, Severely Ill Adults
Christina Roup, PhD-Improving Quality of Life and Communicative Function Through Audiologic Rehabilitation in Aging Adults with Hearing Loss
Jennifer Deal, PhD-Hearing Loss and the Aging Brain
ABSTRACT
All Ears & New Frontiers for Hearing and Sensory Impairment Research and the Significant Impact of Medically Tailored Meals for Elderly Adults
Hearing Loss and the Aging Brain
Jennifer A. Deal, PhD, Johns Hopkins University.
Novel approaches are urgently needed to reduce risk of age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and other dementias in older adults. The consistent relationship with hearing loss and accelerated cognitive decline and incident dementia has been increasingly recognized, and treatment of hearing loss in mid-to-late life could possibly prevent 8% of dementia cases. This presentation will review our current understanding of the cognitive consequences of hearing loss in older adults and will discuss future research directions with a focus on prevention. We will present results from large, population-based studies of the relationship of hearing loss with cognitive function and with rates of brain atrophy as measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging. We will also discuss the design of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) Study, the first randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a best practices hearing (vs. successful aging) intervention on reducing cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss.
Maximizing hearing-related quality of life through audiologic rehabilitation
Christina Roup, PhD, The Ohio State University
Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic condition among aging adults. Approximately 46% of adults above the age of 48 years have measurable hearing loss, and this percentage rises to approximately 90% for adults above the age of 80 years (Cruickshanks et al., 1998). Hearing loss poses a threat to quality of life for aging adults in that untreated hearing loss is associated with depression, anxiety, fatigue, social isolation (The National Council on the Aging, 1999), and the risk of developing dementia (Lin et al. 2011). This presentation will present results from a research study demonstrating the importance of context in successful communication. In addition, this presentation will describe our clinical approach to maximizing quality of life through a three-day intensive group audiologic rehabilitation program for hearing-impaired adults and their primary communication partner.
Understanding User Needs for Individuals Aging with Mobility or Sensory Impairments
Elena T. Remillard, MS, Georgia Institute of Technology
Advances in healthcare, rehabilitation, and technology are enabling individuals with impairments to live longer than ever before. Technology holds great potential to support older adults with long-term impairments, said to be “aging with disability”, in maintaining activities and living as independently as possible. To be effective, technology solutions must be driven by an in-depth understanding of support needs. This presentation will provide an overview of the ACCESS study, highlighting initial findings on participants’ challenges with managing health. Case-study examples convey some of the unique difficulties experienced by these individuals with activities such as exercising, managing medications, and accessing health information.
Food is Medicine and Prevention: Medically Tailored Meals for Older, Severely Ill Adults
Lisa Zullig, MS, RDN, CSG, CDN, God's Love We Deliver
Older adults face unique social and nutritional issues associated with both age and illness. The subset of older adults who experience limitations on their activities of daily living (ADL) caused by illness are often eligible for SNAP and other community and home-delivered nutrition programs, but struggle to use the benefits because of their complicated medical situations/nutritional needs. As a result, this high need population is at increased risk for hospitalization/readmission, ED use, and placement in a facility rather than aging in place. Through a systematic review of the literature in the field, this presentation will describe the risk factors that align for malnutrition & institutionalization for older, severely ill patients. Through case studies and research, attendees will understand the significant impact medical nutrition Therapy & Medically Tailored Meals have on keeping elderly patients in their home, adherent to medications and preventing recidivism.
Learning Objectives:
- Articulate the current state of the science of hearing and brain health, including gaps in our understanding of hearing loss’ effect on the brain and recognize how audiologic rehabilitation can improve hearing health among aging adults with hearing loss.
- Explain the importance of user-testing among older adults with long-term vision, hearing and mobility impairments when developing new technology meant to improve the quality of their lives
- Describe the impact that medical nutrition therapy and medically tailored meals can have on keeping chronically ill older adults in their home
