30 September 2016

Dementia patients should have hearing health checked by nurses, report urges

The Department of Health has outlined its new vision and strategy for nurses working to support people with dementia, including hearing health assessments

The Department for Health has this week released an updated version of its vision and strategy for nurses, Making a Difference in Dementia, setting out how nurses can support people with the condition and their carers/families.

The report identifies a range of important interventions and skills for nurse practitioners, including the importance of checking for hearing problems alongside a series of other wellbeing issues. It is hoped this will contribute towards the Government’s 2020 Dementia Challenge, which aims to make the UK the best country in the world for dementia care and research by the year 2020.

Commenting on the report, NCHA Policy Officer Jakob Stenkvist said: “As this report makes clear, most people with dementia will have multiple long-term conditions. We know that hearing loss is very common in people with dementia but is often missed, making life more difficult unnecessarily for people with dementia and their friends, family and carers. This is why we are pleased to see nurses being encouraged to assess hearing needs. We also encourage nurses to work across organisational boundaries and ensure their patients benefit from expert support for their hearing loss. Thousands of hearing aid dispensers and audiologists up and down the country can make a positive contribution to the 2020 Dementia Challenge.”