5E-A (Sweden)
Moa Wahlqvist
Accessible Information for Persons with Deafblindness During the Corona Pandemic
For individuals with deafblindness communication and interaction with the surrounding environment is challenging due to the combined hearing- and vision loss. The received information becomes fragmented and it is tiring to fill in missing parts. Due to lack of knowledge of deafblindness, public information is not accessible, which became even more evident during the corona pandemic. Persons with deafblindness have ways to get access to information using different methods, however, not without problems. The authorities need better working models to adjust and provide information to the target group in times of crisis. Recommendations that have derived from the results will be discussed and elaborated on at the presentation.

5E-B (Canada)
Atul Jaiswal
Continuum of Care for Older Canadians with Dual Sensory Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Existing Scenario and Lessons to be Learned
Around 1.1 million older Canadians live with dual sensory loss/DSL. Older adults with DSL are at a high risk of cognitive impairment, functional decline, social isolation, falls, depression, and mortality. In addition, compared to their non-DSL peers, older adults with DSL experience various challenges in accessing healthcare, which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the existing continuum of care for older adults with DSL by integrating their perspectives and those of their formal and informal caregivers during the pandemic. The key challenges in continuum of care were impact of pandemic-related restrictions on care process and its outcomes, lack of training on DSL among healthcare providers, limited support to overcome healthcare communication challenges, difficulty in using technologies for telehealth, negative effect of use of personal protective equipment on healthcare communication presence of comorbidities, and restrictions in caregiver accompaniment during the pandemic.

5E-C (Sweden)
Moa Wahlqvist
Adults with Deafblindness- What Are Their Supportive Needs to Live the Life They Want?
The aim was to explore and describe the experiences and needs of support for everyday life for adults with deafblindness. Persons with deafblindness need lifelong support to be able to be active and involved in their everyday life. If support is not provided the results might be negative resulting in physical and mental illness and social isolation. Interviews were performed with 16 adult persons with deafblindness, age ranged from 24 to75 years. Interviews were individual or in focus groups. They were audio or video recorded depending on communication of the participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed interviews. An overreaching theme was identified: The importance of being treated as the unique individual I am. The theme constitutes the foundation of the nine other themes identified to be able to live an active everyday life. Support offered must be tailored to the current needs and situation. Positive and negative experiences of emotional and practical support was described. The mobile phone was expressed as the most important aid. A shared communication was expressed as a need within the theme of family support, also a need for more knowledge about deafblindness for family members. Peer support was described as essential to the participants. The results shared by the participants indicate that the support from society needs to be tailored to a greater extent than what is done today. The participants want to be encountered by interested professionals that have knowledge of deafblindness and its consequences as well as their whole life situation. This will be further elaborated on at the presentation.