Relationship between Hearing Impairment and Cognitive, Functional and Psychosocial Status of Community Dwelling Older Adults

Hearing impairment is a common health problem affecting older adults and its prevalence increases with age. It had a significant effect on all aspects of life of older adults. Objective: This study aims to identify identify the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive, functional and psychosocial status of community dwelling older adults. Setting: The study was conducted in the Ear, Nose and Throat (E.N.T) Outpatient clinic of Damanhur National Medical Institute El-Behaira Governorate, Egypt. Subjects: All older adults attending the outpatient clinic at the time of the study were included in the study. Their number amounted to 200 older adults. They were divided randomly into two equal groups study group (n=100) and control group (n=100). Tools: Socio-demographic and clinical data of the older adults with hearing impairment structured interview schedule, The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMS), Barthel Index Scale, Lawton and Brody scale, The General Well- Being Schedule and UCLA Loneliness Scale (version 3). Results: A statistical significant difference was observed between both groups as regards cognition, performance of IADLs and psychosocial status while no significant difference was found concerning performance ofADLs.Conclusion: Hearing impairment is associated with mild cognitive impairment, severe psychological disturbance and moderate loneliness. Also, performance of IADLs is affected while ADLs is not affected. Recommendations: Teach older adults with hearing impairment about the importance of using hearing aids. This will help to improve their cognitive, functional and psychosocial status. Encourage older adults with hearing impairment to do annual ear examination to prevent further deterioration.