Vision and hearing impairments significantly impact wellbeing of older Australians. Over 70% of home care recipients experience sensory impairments, making hearing and vision support a critical component of care. We explored the sensory care needs of individuals receiving home care services and how these needs are met or unmet.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with home care recipients with vision/hearing impairment and their supporting family members. The topic guide, derived from the Adapted Support Care Needs survey, explored: psychological and emotional needs, health information about the condition, physical and daily living, care and support, and interpersonal relationships.
Thirteen home care recipients (mean age 81.8±6.9 years, 10 with self-reported memory problems, 2 with self-reported dementia diagnosis) and three family members were interviewed. Three home care recipients had hearing impairment, four had vision impairment, and six had dual sensory impairment. Emergent themes were a need for information about how to navigate hearing and vision services, challenges in access to services, functional supports to overcome challenges of daily living, communication barriers, and emotional and social challenges of living with sensory impairment.
Our findings highlight the multifaceted needs of this population and gaps in current home care services regarding sensory care. Quality of life could be enhanced by integration of hearing/vision services within home care, including supporting correct use of sensory devices, enhancing communication between people with sensory impairments and their friends and family, training for home care providers, information sharing between home care and community hearing/vision providers, and promotion of social and emotional wellbeing.