Cochlear Implant Study Supports Older Adults

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) are conducting a three-year study focusing on the benefits of cochlear implants for older adults, reports UNCG Now . A key element of the project is to provide students with clinical training in working with adults with late-onset deafness and cochlear implants. In partnership with area otolaryngologists and audiologists, the researchers have identified qualifying persons, between 40 and 80 years old, with cochlear implants worn less than three years. The study includes a 10-week biopsychosocial aural rehabilitation therapy program that meets once weekly for 60-minute group therapy and 30-minute individual sessions. The Cochlear Implant Connections project aims to offer subjects support, instruction, and structured listening activities. "Part of our aim . . . is to move forward incorporating evidence-based practice, and we believe strongly that this is a good way to do that," says UNCG Professor Christopher Atkins. The initiative's goals include helping older adults understand the technology and use of the cochlear implant, as well as how to communicate with the new device. Another high priority is to adopt a holistic approach to rehabilitation, with participants' lifestyle, family, and friends considered in addition to their impairment.