November 2023 BSA Cognition in Hearing Special Interest Group (CH SIG)
The CH SIG is a multi-disciplinary group with overlapping interests in the cognitive processes that are involved in listening to and understanding sounds, including attention, memory, learning and decision making. The current CH SIG committee have specific interests in dementia and cognitive decline, tinnitus and hyperacusis, listening effort and improving access and clinical practice for underserved patient groups (adults with Intellectual Disabilities, patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder, people with dementia).
Dementia Network. The 3rd Dementia Network event on “Hearing rehabilitation for people with dementia” took place on 13th September and was led by Jenny Douglas.
Our guest speaker was Sonia Archer; she is an occupational therapist by trade and now the Dementia lead for York and Scarborough NHS trust. Her talk focused on rehabilitation and management considerations for people with dementia with regards to the effects of dementia on different parts of our brain and senses. This was followed on by a case study presented by Helen Flett and the use of speech testing for people with dementia as a rehabilitation tool and form of assessment of benefit of hearing aids.
Discussion from our attendees suggested that a useful output from the event would be to provide some hints and tips on effective or alternative rehabilitation management or tools when providing audiological management for people with dementia. To collate this information there was a Padlet wall where attendees added their suggestions to.
We would like to continue to gather advice from those who work with, and who are interested in, audiological rehabilitation for people with dementia but were not able to attend the event in September. If you would like to contribute to the information and advice leaflet, please add to our Padlet wall using the QR code:
At the end of the September meeting, the attendees felt that there was much more to discuss within the field of hearing rehabilitation for people with dementia. Our next Dementia Network event will be “Hearing Rehabilitation Part 2” and this will be held on the 23rd January 2024 @12:30-13:30. Please use this link to sign-up to this event and receive the details needed to join the meeting:
https://forms.office.com/e/v0AP79dYvA
You do not need to be a member of the Dementia Network to join our meetings. BSA members will have access to any outputs generated by this network. Benefits of joining the Dementia Network include opportunities to network with other professionals with an interest in dementia, share resources and best practice and have a say in the content of future events. If you would like to sign up to be part of the Dementia Network, please use this link:
https://forms.office.com/r/DdW3rTDbQU
Development of new BSA guidance on Assistive Listening Devices
The development of this new BSA guidance is an inter-SIG initiative involving ARIG, CH SIG and APD SIG. We are now in a position to start drafting content. CH SIG is writing section about the use of Assistive Listening Devices for managing hearing loss for people with dementia. If there are CH SIG members who would like to be involved in developing this guidance, please get in touch.
Launch of the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership in Coexisting Dementia and Hearing Conditions
The Coexisting Dementia and Hearing Conditions Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) will work with patients, carers and clinicians to identify uncertainties about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment (including management and self-management) of these conditions.
Please look out for the official launch of this PSP and the chance to provide feedback on the priorities in mid-November 2023.
https://www.jla.nihr.ac.uk/priority-setting-partnerships/coexisting-dementia-and-hearing-conditions/
