TY - JOUR
T1 - The social and psychological impact of an older relative's hearing difficulties
T2 - factors associated with change
AU - Knussen, Christina
AU - Tolson, Debbie
AU - Swan, Iain
AU - Stott, David
AU - Brogan, Clare
AU - Sullivan, Frank
PY - 2005/2/28
Y1 - 2005/2/28
N2 - Hearing difficulties in older people may have a negative impact on younger relatives, a construct termed "hearing hassles". Although the provision of a hearing aid to older people with hearing difficulties can reduce the hearing hassles experienced by younger relatives, there is considerable variation in response. In this paper, we examine the factors associated with change in hearing hassles over a period of 6 months. Participants included 56 pairs of older people (65-93 years) and younger relatives (24-66 years) drawn from the community. None of the older participants had severe cognitive impairment. A hearing aid was supplied to the older participants. Increase in hearing hassles over the 6-month period was associated with greater initial caregiving time demands, deterioration in the quality of the relationship with the older person, a decrease in the use of coping strategies aimed at maintaining a balance in life, and the following characteristics of the older person: greater age, more impaired cognitive function, more initial hearing disability, and a decrease in physical function over the 6 months. The hypotheses emerging from these results are considered, and implications for intervention are outlined.
AB - Hearing difficulties in older people may have a negative impact on younger relatives, a construct termed "hearing hassles". Although the provision of a hearing aid to older people with hearing difficulties can reduce the hearing hassles experienced by younger relatives, there is considerable variation in response. In this paper, we examine the factors associated with change in hearing hassles over a period of 6 months. Participants included 56 pairs of older people (65-93 years) and younger relatives (24-66 years) drawn from the community. None of the older participants had severe cognitive impairment. A hearing aid was supplied to the older participants. Increase in hearing hassles over the 6-month period was associated with greater initial caregiving time demands, deterioration in the quality of the relationship with the older person, a decrease in the use of coping strategies aimed at maintaining a balance in life, and the following characteristics of the older person: greater age, more impaired cognitive function, more initial hearing disability, and a decrease in physical function over the 6 months. The hypotheses emerging from these results are considered, and implications for intervention are outlined.
KW - Caregiving
KW - Coping
KW - Hearing disability
KW - Stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=11844258225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13548500512331315361
DO - 10.1080/13548500512331315361
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:11844258225
SN - 1354-8506
VL - 10
SP - 57
EP - 63
JO - Psychology, Health and Medicine
JF - Psychology, Health and Medicine
IS - 1
ER -