Manchha Asmita V, Burton Bridget, Siyambalapitiya Samantha, Wood Joanne M, Hickson Louise, Fetherstonhaugh Deirdre, King Michelle, Wallace Sarah J
Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
STARS Education and Research Alliance, Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS), The University of Queensland and Metro North Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Gerontologist. 2025 Jun 12;65(7). doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf140.
Older adults often experience communication changes due to aging and an increased prevalence of conditions affecting speech, language, cognition, and sensory functions. Although individual health conditions and contextual factors (e.g., personal and environmental) are known to influence communication, limited research has examined how these factors interact. Our scoping review summarizes how health conditions, impairments, and contextual factors can interact to influence communication in residential and community aged care settings.
Peer-reviewed articles published 2003-2023 were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework, we extracted information about health conditions, impairments to body structures and functions, and personal and environmental factors reported to influence communication. Data were synthesized using thematic analysis.
From 75 articles, we identified combinations of health conditions (e.g., dementia), impairments to body functions and structures (e.g., hearing impairment), personal (e.g., language, culture, gender), and environmental factors (e.g., relationships, health services, products/technology), reported to affect communication for older adults in aged care environments. Language and culture, and support and relationships, were both key facilitators and barriers to communication.
Older adults may experience complex and diverse communication support needs that result from multiple intersecting factors. Research to date has focused on communication in residential aged care, with few studies exploring community aged care services. Our findings will inform the development of resources for identifying and supporting the communication needs of older adults who receive aged care services.
老年人常因衰老以及影响言语、语言、认知和感觉功能的疾病患病率上升而出现沟通变化。尽管已知个体健康状况和情境因素（如个人和环境因素）会影响沟通，但对这些因素如何相互作用的研究有限。我们的范围综述总结了健康状况、损伤以及情境因素如何相互作用，从而影响住家及社区老年护理环境中的沟通。
通过检索PubMed、PsycINFO、CINAHL、Scopus和ProQuest，识别出2003年至2023年发表的同行评审文章。以《国际功能、残疾和健康分类》为框架，我们提取了有关健康状况、身体结构和功能损伤以及据报告影响沟通的个人和环境因素的信息。使用主题分析法对数据进行综合分析。
从75篇文章中，我们确定了健康状况（如痴呆症）、身体功能和结构损伤（如听力障碍）、个人因素（如语言、文化、性别）以及环境因素（如人际关系、医疗服务、产品/技术）的组合，这些因素据报告会影响老年护理环境中老年人的沟通。语言和文化以及支持与人际关系既是沟通的关键促进因素，也是障碍。
老年人可能因多种相互交织的因素而有复杂多样的沟通支持需求。迄今为止的研究主要集中在住家老年护理中的沟通，很少有研究探索社区老年护理服务。我们的研究结果将为开发资源以识别和支持接受老年护理服务的老年人的沟通需求提供参考。
