Hearing impairment in elderly hospital residents.
Seventy per cent of the sample residents had significant hearing impairment (> or = 40 dBHL). Forty-seven per cent of the sample residents wanted further help with their hearing but this had not been offered. Screening for hearing impairment on the study wards was haphazard. Less than 10% of residents owned and used a hearing aid. The listening environment was potentially disabling on all of the wards. Nursing staff were inadequately prepared to meet the care needs of the hearing-impaired elderly hospital resident. Nursing and medical care policies are not sensitive towards the needs of the hearing-impaired elderly hospital resident. Hearing impairment is a neglected area of healthcare on long-stay wards for elderly people.
Tolson
D
D
McIntosh
J
J
D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology