Partnership between senior living provider and university researchers aims to address hearing healthcare barriers and improve overall well-being for older adults.
BHI Senior Living, which operates 10 continuing care retirement / life plan communities and two active adult communities in the Midwest, is partnering with Indiana University School of Medicine on a research initiative that will focus on addressing hearing healthcare barriers and promoting education within three senior living communities: Barrington of Carmel, Carmel, IN; Hoosier Village in Indianapolis; and Westminster Village North in Indianapolis.
BHI said the communities were chosen due to their proximity to the university and their diverse resident demographics, allowing researchers to capture a wide range of experiences and data.
Hearing health is a critical, but often under-addressed factor in quality of life for older adults. Recent studies have linked hearing loss to an increased risk of dementia and hearing impairment to a higher risk of a new Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
The initiative, which has yet to launch, will engage with residents, families, staff members and leadership through interactive lunch-and-learn sessions and one-on-one interviews. The research findings will provide a better understanding of the challenges senior living residents face in accessing hearing health and will develop actionable solutions to enhance overall well-being and communication within senior living communities. The company told McKnight's Senior Living that they anticipate gaining insights into the specific challenges residents face regarding hearing health, reveal resident perceptions of its effects on cognitive function, and identify barriers to care and areas where intervention is most needed.
The plan is to form a Hearing Healthcare Coalition, bringing together diverse stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, audiologists, researchers and community leaders — to analyze the data and recommend interventions to improve access and outcomes. The coalition then will design and implement those interventions, focusing on practical and sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of the senior living community such as regular hearing screenings, education programs, access to affordable hearing devices and collaboration with healthcare providers to integrate hearing health into overall wellness plans.
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