https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/106393 2026-06-09T09:32:12Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/139046 Title: The impact of canine-assisted activities on communication skills, in older adults with dementia Abstract: Purpose. The purpose of this study was to inves,gate the impact of canine-assisted activities (CAA) on the communica,on skills of ins,tu,onalised older adults with dementia. It also aimed to gather data on the perspectives of leading allied healthcare professionals working at the same long-term care facility, on CAA. Background. Dementia has a major impact on the biological, psychological, and social aspects of individuals, and also affects their caregivers and healthcare professionals. One way of how the caregivers cope is by admiting the person into a long-term care facility. This, however, reduces the quality of life of the individual. Thus, CAA has been introduced in many healthcare systems worldwide to help improve the person holistically and has proven its relevance and importance. Method. Nine participants were involved in this study. The use of observation checklist and specific targeted questions were the tools of choice. The checklist aimed at including conversation, social, pragmatic and communication skills. A mixed approach was employed when analysing the observation checklist of the five older adults, which were observed in the presence and in the absence of the dog, in different settings. Thematic analysis was used during all the qualitative research. Additionally, the data of the four professionals was extracted qualitatively from a set of focus group questions, which sought to extract in-depth information. Results. When CAA was implemented, most participants interacted with affection and interest, used verbal and non-verbal forms of communication effectively, and were often content. Speech hesitancy was also noted to decrease during the activities. In the absence of CAA, less participants were engaged, and fewer participants displayed a positive approach. This suggests that the aim of CAA was reached during this research. The leading allied health professionals expressed their perspectives on the benefits that CAA has on patients, including improving their overall emotional state and communication. These professionals also discussed the relevant concerns of CAA, stating that the effectiveness is dependent on the stage of dementia, and whether the patient is intrinsically afraid of dogs. The professionals’ interpretations and suggested modifications to successfully implement CAA in Malta was also noted, such as the importance of increasing awareness on this form of intervention, along with the related issues regarding a lack of resources. Description: B.Sc. (Hons)(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/139044 Title: The validation of the adaptive auditory speech test in Maltese older adults Abstract: The purpose of this study is to validate the Adaptive Auditory Speech Test (AAST) in Maltese older adults aged 60 to 70 years. Participants’ hearing thresholds are screened using automated pure-tone audiometry (PTA). This is done in order to establish two groups; the typical hearing group and the group of individuals with identified hearing impairment (clinical group). The Maltese version of the AAST is utilized to establish the Speech Recognition Thresholds (SRTs) of 100 adults in 2 settings; Quiet and Noise. The aims are to establish the trends of typical-hearing Maltese older adults in these 2 settings. PTA findings show that the clinical group have a higher mean PTA score compared to the typical hearing group. Participants who report a history of ear infection or ear-related conditions, and difficulty understanding people speaking in noisy environments are also found to have a higher mean PTA score. The clinical group is also found to have higher average scores in both Quiet and Noisy settings in the AAST. The mean SRT values in Quiet and Noise of the 18-30-year-olds in Miggiani’s study (2021), are compared to the 60-70-year-olds in this study. An age-dependent threshold, with a substantial increase in SRTs as age increases is confirmed. This is noticeable across the 2 test settings. An age-dependent threshold difference of about 14dB in Quiet and 7dB in Noise can be observed. A high correlation between PTA and AAST is also observed thereby confirming concurrent validity. The AAST is also found to have high test-retest reliability. Description: B.Sc. (Hons)(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138906 Title: The involvement of speech-language pathologists in head and neck care teams : healthcare professionals’ perspective Abstract: The speech-language pathologists’ (SLP) role in head and neck care (HNC) is critical in ensuring a good quality of life (QoL) maintenance amongst the HN population experiencing compromised swallowing, speech, and communication abilities. Several studies have reported an overall lack of awareness amongst medical professions (MPs) and allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) within the acute hospital setting, regarding the SLPs role and scope of practice. Furthermore, available research indicated that SLPs are not always regarded appropriately involved within the HN multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). In Malta, no study has explored this yet. Thus, this study’s purpose was to explore local healthcare professionals’ (HPs) and SLPs’ perspective and awareness on the SLPs involvement within local HNC teams. This research also aimed to report on the presence of a MDT approach, barriers faced in practice, and the training needs of local HPs and SLPs. A mixed-method approach was implemented, collecting data through an online survey-based questionnaire, completed by 54 HPs and SLPs, and 13 interviews. Local HPs and SLPs identified an overall lack, yet improved awareness amongst MDT members, with a moderate level of familiarity with the SLPs role in HNC. A good rapport between HPs and SLPs is present locally, with most referrals and awareness of the SLPs role pertaining to swallowing, communication, and speech difficulties. Lack of staff, time, and communication were the main barriers reported. All participants identified a need for improved undergraduate training and the importance of further specialised training within the HN area. Findings recognise the need for further SLP involvement in MDTs and an improved referral system. Results also implicate a need for further awareness and education on the SLPs role within HN amongst HPs, SLPs and the public alike. Description: B.Sc. (Hons)(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138903 Title: Parental awareness of vocal hygiene in children in Malta Abstract: The encouragement and implementation of vocal hygiene with children is vital for the prevention of voice disorder development. Poor awareness and practice of vocal hygiene in children is a common finding amongst parental populations. This is also a leading cause for a lack of voice therapy referrals. This study aimed to investigate the levels of vocal hygiene awareness in parents of children aged 2-11 years old in Malta. Furthermore, the potential reasons as to why there are a lack of children with dysphonia aged 2-11 years old referred for voice therapy in Malta were explored. An online parental questionnaire was completed by 60 parents of children aged 2-11 years old who do not attend voice therapy, to aid with the establishment of the levels of awareness of vocal hygiene in parents of the local general public. Questions were on general demographics, knowledge of, attitude towards, and practice of vocal hygiene with children. Additionally, 30-minute-long semi-structured interviews were carried out with Professional Lead of the Speech and Language Centre and the President of the Association of Speech and Language Pathology, in order to investigate the potential reasons why there is a lack of children attending voice therapy within each sector locally. The questionnaire results demonstrated that participants had fair levels of vocal hygiene awareness, positive attitudes, and adequate levels of practice, but significant gaps in their knowledge and misconceptions were evident. The interviewees expressed that a limited number of clients attending voice therapy locally may be due to a lack of awareness of vocal hygiene amongst parents of children aged 2-11 years old. The professionals urged for vocal hygiene awareness to be spread to combat this, and hence, an outcome of the present study was to develop a draft set of vocal hygiene guidelines for parents. The study implies that vocal hygiene awareness amongst local parental populations must be increased, in light of the misconceptions held surrounding the topic. This will allow for parents to be better equipped for the prevention, earlier detection and treatment of voice disorders in children. Description: B.Sc. (Hons)(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z