Workshops for Veterans With Vision and Hearing Loss

This pilot study will enrolled 13 Veterans with Dual Sensory Loss (DSL), age 65 to over 89. The project headquarters in the Portland Oregon Veterans Affairs Medical Center will be tasked with the development of the workshops and writing of a Curriculum and Procedures Manual. The Atlanta VAMC research collaborators enrolled the 13 Veterans. Staff turnover reduced time available for enrollment and data collection. We therefore eliminated the original comparison group design and this study had only one experimental intervention arm and no control intervention or other arm. Veterans were chronologically enrolled who responded to recruitment letters and who passed telephone and onsite screening. The intervention consisted of six weekly two hour workshops providing information, skills training and exercises about self-managing DSL effects on daily life. Preliminary effectiveness data was collected and analyzed, and a large scale clinical trial will be proposed as a followup to explore the efficacy of this management approach. This study data tracked pre and post intervention within subject changes.

Inclusion criteria

• Veteran;
• Vision loss > 20/70 better eye;
• Hearing loss > 40 decibels better ear;
• Cognition Within Normal Limits (WNL);
• No behavioral flag or psychiatric diagnosis;
• Documented psychosocial restrictions secondary to vision and hearing loss

Exclusion criteria

• Vision and/or hearing can be corrected by surgical or pharmacological treatment;
• Requires use of sign language interpreter