Very old people′s management of hearing and vision in daily life

48^th World Congress on Advanced Nursing Research

June 14-15, 2018 | Dublin, Ireland

Gro Gade Haanes

University of the Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Adv Practice Nurs

Abstract :

Statement of the Problem: Age related hearing and vision impairments are normal and increase by age. Sensory impairments are known risk factors for functional decline, reduced social participation, withdrawal, depression and accidents. Hearing and vision impairments make people vulnerable and have an impact on an individual�s quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how very old recipients of home care manage their hearing and vision in daily life. A second aim of this paper was to describe other daily matters of importance for the very old. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Explorative, descriptive design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 recipients of home care, aged 89 years. Two broad areas of enquiry were investigated: how the elderly evaluated their hearing and vision and how they managed important daily matters. The interviews were analyzed in line with a qualitative thematic analysis method. Findings: The participants felt frail and were coping with several challenges not directly related to hearing and vision impairments. The manifest content showed that all admitted to having hearing and vision problems, but the more latent content of the data showed that the elderly were marked by their high age and expressed a feeling of loneliness was expressed together with a lack of energy. Conclusion & Significance: Very old people who receive home care admit to have impaired hearing and vision, but although they often feel loneliness, hearing and vision problems could not be prioritized by the very old. Instead, they use their most of their impaired energy to manage other serious health challenges.

Biography :

Gro Gade Haanes is an Assistant Professor in Pharmacy, Ph.D. reader, Sjúkrarøkt knowledgeable faculty at University of the Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands. Gro Gade Haanes at the Department of Health and Society will defend his dissertation for the degree PhD. Hearing, vision, and lighting conditions among older recipients of home care.
Email:groh@setur.fo