Hearing Loss in Later Life
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative investigation of the barriers and facilitators to managing hearing loss for older adults living with frailty
IRAS ID
350686
Contact name
Lesley Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, days
Research summary
This study will include conducting in-depth qualitative interviews to explore the experiences of older adults living with frailty and hearing loss. This will be followed by a single stakeholder workshop to consider next steps. The study will run from 1st December 2025 to 31st March 2027, with no follow-up period.
Interview Phase – up to 25 older adults and up to 10 communication partners will be interviewed to examine barriers and facilitators to managing hearing loss. Communication partners may be a spouse/partner, relative, or close friend who provides support to the primary participant.
Guided by the Burden of Treatment Theory, the research aims to identify how support needs for older adults with frailty and hearing loss can be better met. Key objectives include understanding the motivational and cognitive processes influencing decisions to seek or delay help; barriers and facilitators in accessing and engaging with audiology services, including primary care; challenges and enablers associated with hearing aid use and reasons for inconsistent use; awareness of supportive technologies such as vibrating alarms and adapted doorbells; and the types of support older adults consider most valuable in managing hearing loss.
Most participants will be recruited via established cohorts, including the Community Ageing Research (CARE75+) Study and the Wellbeing in Later Life (WeLL-Bradford) study, where optional consent is provided to be approached about other research studies. A small number of participants may be recruited from community groups to ensure diversity. For these participants, a brief frailty screening tool will be administered to assess eligibility.
Workshop Phase – a stakeholder workshop with up to seven participants, including older adults, communication partners, audiologists, and a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) representative, will be conducted to review findings and discuss next steps.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/YH/0016
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion