Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments

Successful communication is vital to active aging and well-being, yet virtually all older adults find it challenging to communicate effectively in noisy environments. The resulting discomfort and frustration can prompt withdrawal or avoidance of social situations, which, in turn, can severely limit...

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Main Authors: Heinrich, Antje, Gagné, Jean-Pierre, Viljanen, Anne, Levy, Daniel A., Ben-David, Boaz, Schneider, Bruce A.
Format: Article
Published: Mykolas Romeris University 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38646/
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author Heinrich, Antje
Gagné, Jean-Pierre
Viljanen, Anne
Levy, Daniel A.
Ben-David, Boaz
Schneider, Bruce A.
author_facet Heinrich, Antje
Gagné, Jean-Pierre
Viljanen, Anne
Levy, Daniel A.
Ben-David, Boaz
Schneider, Bruce A.
author_sort Heinrich, Antje
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Successful communication is vital to active aging and well-being, yet virtually all older adults find it challenging to communicate effectively in noisy environments. The resulting discomfort and frustration can prompt withdrawal or avoidance of social situations, which, in turn, can severely limit the range of activities available to older adults and lead to a less active and satisfying lifestyle, and, in some cases, depression. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health’s (ICF) multifactorial model (WHO, 2001), we review the wider aspects of functioning and disability as they relate to hearing difficulties and communication, placing a particular emphasis on the work we, an international and interdisciplinary group of researchers, have done in the context of the ERA-NET funded interdisciplinary HEARATTN project. The ICF model is particularly fitting because it allows us to consider how physiological changes in hearing and cognition affect listening in various situations, what the consequences of these changes are for communicative abilities and social participation, and how this in turn affects life-space mobility, self-reported well-being, and, ultimately, quality of life. We will discuss how environmental conditions (both physical and social) and personal factors can affect how well older adults can communicate in the situations characteristic of everyday life. In the concluding section we discuss some behaviors, techniques and strategies that can be adopted to maintain or improve effective communication under difficult listening conditions.
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spelling nottingham-386462020-05-04T18:12:12Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38646/ Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments Heinrich, Antje Gagné, Jean-Pierre Viljanen, Anne Levy, Daniel A. Ben-David, Boaz Schneider, Bruce A. Successful communication is vital to active aging and well-being, yet virtually all older adults find it challenging to communicate effectively in noisy environments. The resulting discomfort and frustration can prompt withdrawal or avoidance of social situations, which, in turn, can severely limit the range of activities available to older adults and lead to a less active and satisfying lifestyle, and, in some cases, depression. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health’s (ICF) multifactorial model (WHO, 2001), we review the wider aspects of functioning and disability as they relate to hearing difficulties and communication, placing a particular emphasis on the work we, an international and interdisciplinary group of researchers, have done in the context of the ERA-NET funded interdisciplinary HEARATTN project. The ICF model is particularly fitting because it allows us to consider how physiological changes in hearing and cognition affect listening in various situations, what the consequences of these changes are for communicative abilities and social participation, and how this in turn affects life-space mobility, self-reported well-being, and, ultimately, quality of life. We will discuss how environmental conditions (both physical and social) and personal factors can affect how well older adults can communicate in the situations characteristic of everyday life. In the concluding section we discuss some behaviors, techniques and strategies that can be adopted to maintain or improve effective communication under difficult listening conditions. Mykolas Romeris University 2016-09-15 Article PeerReviewed Heinrich, Antje, Gagné, Jean-Pierre, Viljanen, Anne, Levy, Daniel A., Ben-David, Boaz and Schneider, Bruce A. (2016) Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments. Social Inquiry into Well-Being, 2 (1). pp. 51-69. ISSN 2351-6682 Communication ICF older adults hearing speech comprehension social participation intervention https://www3.mruni.eu/ojs/social-inquiry-into-well-being/article/view/4376 doi:10.13165/SIIW-16-2-1-05 doi:10.13165/SIIW-16-2-1-05
spellingShingle Communication
ICF
older adults
hearing
speech comprehension
social participation
intervention
Heinrich, Antje
Gagné, Jean-Pierre
Viljanen, Anne
Levy, Daniel A.
Ben-David, Boaz
Schneider, Bruce A.
Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
title Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
title_full Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
title_fullStr Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
title_full_unstemmed Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
title_short Effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
title_sort effective communication as a fundamental aspect of active aging and well-being: paying attention to the challenges older adults face in noisy environments
topic Communication
ICF
older adults
hearing
speech comprehension
social participation
intervention
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38646/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38646/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38646/