Hearing aid usage in nursing care institutions for the elderly Acquisition channels and conditions of usage for hearing aids

高齢者施設利用者における補聴器の入手経路と使用実態を明らかにすることを目的として，長崎県内の老健３施設の補聴器を所持する34名（男９名，女25名）に対して調査を行った．約８割は本人希望の補聴器購入であったが，約３割は使用していなかった．購入先には，耳鼻科や補聴器店以外に眼鏡店や時計店，電気店などがあった．また，補聴器の異常や不備に気付かない，不備に気付いても継続使用する者はそれぞれ約３割であった．今後の課題として，適切な販売店の選択と利用者の機能に合わせた補聴器の提供やフォローを行う必要性があると考えられる．補聴器の使用管理に，言語聴覚士（ST）や介護職が積極的に関わる必要もあると考えられた．34 hearing aid users (9 male and 25 female) in three nursing care institutions for senior citizen in Nagasaki prefecture were investigated to determine acquisition channels and the conditions of hearing aid usage. In approximately 80% of the cases the purchase was at the subject's request, though about 30% did not actually use the device. The hearing aids were bought at otolaryngology clinics and hearing aid stores as well as optician's shops, jewelry stores and electrical appliance stores. Approximately 30% of users did not notice malfunctions and defects in the device and other 30% continued to use them despite being aware these problems. The selection of appropriate stores, the choice of a proper device that suits the individual user and after purchase service are all problems to be solved. Moreover, it is important that Speech-Language-Hearing Therapists (ST) and nursing professionals take an active role in instruction, usage and handling of hearing aids in institutions