1721 Enhancing the recognition of sensory impairment on the Care of the Elderly wards

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Although hearing loss is the foremost cause of years lived with disability in people over 70, it remains commonly under-recognised. Health of the UK signing deaf community is reportedly worse than the general population, often due to resulting undertreatment of associated co-morbidities including visual impairment, falls and dementia. Local Problem There is an estimated 21% prevalence of ≥25dBHL hearing loss within the Wolverhampton adult population, this increasing with age. A large number of inpatients admitted to the Older Adult Medicine (OAM) wards at New Cross Hospital have clinically evident sensory impairment, impacting upon interactions with healthcare staff. This project identified the current methods through which hearing and/or visual impairment is formally screened for and documented within the OAM Department of a large district general hospital, targeting interventions towards mitigating barriers faced in sensory assessment. Methods and Intervention Baseline and post-intervention documentation of sensory impairment was collected from admission and bedside notes of 23 inpatients during each cycle. A multidisciplinary focus group of medical, nursing and practice education facilitators identified a marked underutilisation of bedside alert signs (4%), prompting creation of a redesigned bedside poster with a greater focus on sensory aid functionality. Results 60% of posters were utilised 10 days after introduction, with an increase from 4% to 36% in recording of known sensory impairment being observed. 100% and 25% of inpatients with correctly functioning hearing aids and spectacles were documented respectively. 100% of patients admitted through frailty intervention streams were assessed for sensory loss, compared to 0% admitted via the unselected medical take. Conclusions Improved bedside alert posters provided initial evidence as a sustainable improvement in supporting inpatients with sensory impairment. Incorporating positive lessons from frailty team practice will assist in developing future education sessions, highlighting intended sign usage and transferrable sensory assessment methods for involved healthcare teams.