Some factors affecting assessment of hearing handicap in the elderly.
In 42 elderly hearing-impaired persons we compared the patient's self-assessment of hearing handicap with the assessment made by the patient's significant other. In general, patients tended to rate themselves as less handicapped than did their significant others. The difference was not affected by degree of loss but was affected by slope of loss and by the presence of central auditory processing deficit. Results support the value of the handicap assessment by the significant other in understanding the communication problems of the elderly patient.
Chmiel
R
R
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
Jerger
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004007:Dichotic Listening Tests; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013067:Speech Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires