A Comparison of the Perceived Hearing Difficulties of Community and Clinical Samples of Older Adults

Abstract

Purpose This study aimed to compare the perceived hearing difficulties of a community sample of older adults to two clinical samples of older adults, one with no hearing aid experience and the other with hearing aid experience. Method Scale scores from the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) were analyzed for a community sample of older adults ( N = 243) and compared to scores from two clinical samples, one without ( N = 342) and one with prior hearing-aid experience ( N = 179). General linear model (GLM) analyses were performed to examine the effects of data sample type and other factors on CPHI scale scores. Scores for the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) were also available for most participants and were analyzed. Results GLM analyses of each of the 20 CPHI scale scores showed significant effects of sample type with hearing-loss severity and age most frequently showing significant effects as well. GLM analyses controlling for hearing-loss severity and age across sample types found significant differences on most CPHI scales between the community sample and each of the two clinical samples. Significant differences between the two clinical samples were also found on several CPHI scales and on the HHIE. Conclusions Older adults from the community who did not seek help for hearing difficulties self-reported less difficulty and a greater denial or lack of awareness of communication problems than those who sought assistance at an audiology clinic. For those presumed to have sought a hearing evaluation, those acquiring hearing aids perceived greater communication difficulties in all environments, had greater awareness of communication difficulties, were more accepting of their hearing loss, but tended to allocate more responsibility for their difficulties to others, compared to those who sought clinical assistance but did not acquire hearing aids.

Is Teleaudiology Achieving Person-Centered Care: A Review

“…The greatest degree of autonomy was found in clinical tasks that focused rehabilitation and provision of information. The audiological literature encourages information and acceptance prior to beginning intervention, as well as increased support during the rehabilitative phase of intervention, which may be critical to improving rates of adoption and adherence to audiological intervention [ 40 , 41 , 42 ]. The Australian Audiology competency standards describe person-centered care as a mutually beneficial relationship in which all decisions are shared [ 25 ].…”

Cochlear implant-specific risks should be considered, when assessing the quality of life of children and adolescents with hearing loss and cochlear implants–not just cochlear implant-specific benefits–Perspective

“…I have observed isolated cases (about 10 out of 200) of older children who, overnight and for no apparent reason, temporarily became very thoughtful and exhibited an ambivalent or negative attitude toward their CI. For older adults with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), acceptance of hearing aids appears to be related to acceptance of their own hearing loss ( Humes and Dubno, 2021 ). Despite having clear comprehension and communication problems, those who denied their hearing loss refrained from using hearing aids ( Humes and Dubno, 2021 ).…”

“…For older adults with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), acceptance of hearing aids appears to be related to acceptance of their own hearing loss ( Humes and Dubno, 2021 ). Despite having clear comprehension and communication problems, those who denied their hearing loss refrained from using hearing aids ( Humes and Dubno, 2021 ). There was also a fear of being stigmatized for using hearing aids ( Barker et al, 2017 ; Vas et al, 2017 ).…”

Core Values in the Traditional Provision of Hearing Health Care

“…Adults with better psychomotor function and poorer self-reported health status are more likely to adopt and use their hearing aids (Nixon et al, 2021). The subjective experience of hearing also influences help-seeking behavior; Humes & Dubno (2021) found that older adults who do not seek treatment for hearing loss tend to perceive less difficulty with applied to evaluate traditional audiology and achieve our goal of producing a tool to compare differences between service delivery models.…”