“I don’t really know how to help her.” Family caregivers’ capabilities, opportunities and motivations to provide hearing support to long-term care home residents with dementia.

Purpose: Hearing loss is highly prevalent in long-term care home (LTCH) residents with dementia (“residents”) and exacerbates confusion and communication difficulties. Residents rely on caregivers, including family, for hearing-related care. This study aims to understand the drivers of family caregivers’ provision of hearing support to LTCH residents using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

Materials and Methods: This exploratory two-stage study was guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). A self-report survey (N=87) and interviews (N=6) explored drivers behind the provision of hearing support. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a within-participants ANOVA. Deductive coding of TDF domains alongside thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.

Results: Provision of hearing support was variable. Gaps in family caregivers’ psychological capability, reflective motivation and physical opportunity were identified. Barriers included lacking knowledge, unclear caregiver responsibilities, deprioritising hearing support, COVID-19 restrictions and fragmented collaborations with audiology services.

Conclusions: Future behaviour-change interventions to facilitate family caregivers’ provision of hearing support to LTCH residents should include: Improving knowledge of how to provide effective hearing support, establishing caregiver responsibilities and increasing the resources for hearing support within LTCHs.