Perspectives of health professionals on an in-home hearing and vision enhancement intervention for older adults in Norwegian municipalities
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to characterize the experiences of health professionals participating in an exploratory randomized controlled trial designed to improve hearing and vision among older adults without dementia receiving the in-home health services provided by Norwegian municipalities.
Design/methodology/approach
Semistructured individual and paired interviews were conducted by nine health professionals from five municipalities to explore health professionals’ experiences with the intervention. The data were analyzed using content analysis.
Findings
Three main categories of experiences were identified: (1) participating in the intervention, (2) emerging new knowledge and (3) developing in-home health services. The mutual collaboration between health professionals and service recipients during the screening process led to a more-thorough understanding of the service recipients’ needs and resources, enabling personalized advice and guidance.
Research limitations/implications
In-home interventions have the potential to improve the quality of life of older adults with hearing and vision impairments. Given the promising outcomes of such interventions, future research should (1) investigate their effects on changes in behaviors and attitudes, (2) integrate technological advancements and (3) explore environmental modifications to further enhance the quality of life of older adults in various settings.
Practical implications
The health professionals in this study enjoyed assisting the service recipients in receiving in-home health services by screening their hearing, vision and indoor lighting conditions. The trial enabled the health professionals to provide personalized advice, and to motivate and guide the service recipients toward actions to remedy their impairments.
Social implications
The health professionals recommended hearing, vision and indoor lighting screening to be a routine municipal service because it would safeguard independence, prevent falling and maintain the quality of life of service recipients. However, additional resources are needed to implement these recommendations.
Originality/value
In-home interventions have the potential to improve the quality of life of older adults with hearing and vision impairments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Author contributions: The first author collected the data and had the principal responsibility for the analysis, but the process was discussed continuously with the coauthors. All authors contributed to the drafting and the final critical revision of the manuscript.
Funding: This study did not receive any grant funding.
Citation
Haanes, G.G., Helvik, A.-S. and Johannessen, A. (2024), "Perspectives of health professionals on an in-home hearing and vision enhancement intervention for older adults in Norwegian municipalities", Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAOA-10-2023-0067
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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