Quality of life and participation restrictions, a study in elderly

Abstract

Accordi ng to the IBGE, Brazil had 21 million elderly persons in 2008.Objective: To study the effects of speech therapy -fitting of hearing aids -on the quality of life of elderly persons and restriction of participation according to sex and age.Material and Method: 50 elderly subjects, 23 females and 27 males, were allocated to Group 1 and Group 2, and were assessed with questionnaires (HHIE and SF 36) before and one year after fitting hearing aids; subjects were monitored every two months. Results:The HHIE Social and Emotional Scale was significant with regards to sex and age after fitting hearing aids. The SF 36 results after fitting hearing aids were significant in six of eight test aspects. Two test aspects were not significant after fitting hearing aids; pain, however, was significant in the elderly group 2. Conclusion:There is little awareness of participation restrictions after the HHIE intervention. There is improvement in quality of life after rehabilitation. Retrospective study. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2011;77(5):628-38. ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Treinamento auditivo computadorizado em idosos protetizados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde

“…A research applied the same questionnaire to 29 elderly, before the use of the hearing aid and after one year of use, resulting in a significant reduction in the restriction of participation after the use of hearing aid, in the group studied (24) . Another study, also similar, demonstrated that the elderly showed reduction in the self-perception of the restrictions of participation after the use of the hearing aid, attributing this improvement to the adaptation and the use of hearing aids (25) .…”

Tools for evaluation of restriction on auditory participation: systematic review of the literature

“…While verifying the studies that were selected (Table 1), it was noted that seven studies utilized the hearing handicap protocols only in the adult population (8,9,11,16,18,23) . In 12 studies, the sample was composed exclusively of the elderly (6,10,(13)(14)(15)17,22,(25)(26)(27)(28)(29) ; while the remaining papers, seven (3,7,12,(19)(20)(21)24) , evaluated hearing handicaps in both adults and the elderly.…”

“…In the studies selected (3,7,8,17,20,29) , the questionnaires for hearing handicap were utilized to evaluate the intervention plan and if the aural rehabilitation were effective in decreasing the disabilities and handicaps. As a result, it was noted that the use of the personal hearing amplification devices aided in the reduction of the perception of handicaps and hearing difficulties.…”

Correlação entre percepção de fala e zumbido antes e após o uso de amplificação

“…One way to lessen the impact of hearing loss in a person is the use of hearing aids (HA) (2) which is also a therapeutic tool in the audiological maintenance of tinnitus (3,4) . Tinnitus is considered a perception of sound without its presence in the environment.…”

“…Thus, the authors recommend the adaptation of hearing aids in patients with hearing loss accompanied by tinnitus as an alternative to intervention (2,3,9) . Many times speech perception is associated with tinnitus and may be harmed by this symptom.…”