Quality of life in elderly adults before and after hearing aid fitting.
Presbycusis is a common disorder in the elderly, which causes hearing loss and may contribute to the development of some psychiatric disorders, leading to isolation due to communication difficulties in the social environment.


OBJECTIVE
To identify through the WHOQOL (World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire), the quality of life of hearing impaired individuals before and after hearing aid fittings.


METHODS
We had 30 individuals with hearing loss, all over 60 years of age - patients from a Speech Therapy Clinic. The patients answered the WHOQOL questions without the use of hearing aids; and after the effective use of a sound amplification device for a period of three months they answered it again. The WHOQOL - Bref consists of 26 questions, two general quality-of-life questions and 24 associated with four aspects: physical, psychological, environmental and social relations.


RESULTS
There was a significant improvement in quality of life in general, as far as leisure activities were concerned, there were no major changes regarding the frequency of negative feelings; even after the hearing aid fitting, the patients continue to have such feelings.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of hearing aids favored the overall quality of life of the individuals evaluated.
Dental School of Bauru, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia
MF
Mondelli
Patrícia Jorge Soalheiro de
PJ
Souza
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires