2007-01-01

Nursing management of hearing impairment in nursing facility residents.

Hearing impairment is a seri?ous problem among older adults in America. It affects their functional ability, which in turn significantly affects their quality of life (U.S. Administration on Aging [AO..显示全部 >>

Hearing impairment is a seri?ous problem among older adults in America. It affects their functional ability, which in turn significantly affects their quality of life (U.S. Administration on Aging [AOA], 2002). Hearing impairment is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions among older adults, ex?ceeded only by arthritis, heart dis?ease, and hypertensive disease (U.S. AOA, 2002; National Center for Health Statistics, 2008; National In?stitutes of Health [NIH], 2007). Hearing loss, which leads to hearing impairment, is the most common sen?sory deficit in older adults. One in three people older than age 60 and half of adults older than 85 have hearing loss, leading to hearing impairment (Ken?nedy-Malone, Fletcher, & Plank, 2004). The prevalence of hearing impairment among older adults in nursing homes is even greater (Kennedy-Malone, Fletch?er, & Plank, 2004). Up to 98% of older adults residing in long-term care facili?ties have hearing impairments (Ameri?can Speech-Language Hearing Associa?tion [ASHA], 1997; “Considerations in Screening,” 1992; Norwood-Chapman & Burchfield, 1999).