Functional assessment of elderly patients with hearing impairment: A preliminary evaluation

Background: The consequence of hearing impairment in elderly patients may affect daily living activities functions. This study assessed whether hearing impairment (HI) has an effect, and the extent of the effect, on the functionality of elderly patients. It also explored factors that may be associated with impaired functionality in hearing-impaired elderly patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, comparative study of elderly patients (aged ≥ 60 years) with HI. The study was conducted in a specialist tertiary hospital in a suburban town in southwestern Nigeria. The study participants were administered a structured questionnaire to obtain information on sociodemographics, clinical and audiometric profiles, and functional capabilities relating to physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Differences in the functional capabilities between the test patients and the controls were explored using the Student t test and Chi-square test, based on the data generated by statistical software. Results: One hundred and thirty individuals (78 test patients, 52 controls), aged 60–94 years (mean ± standard deviation, 71.4 ± 7.4 years) completed the study. In the physical and cognitive domains, the prevalence of functional impairment was 52.6%. Functions were different between hearing-impaired patients and normal hearing elderly patients. The HI patients had associated significant impairment in two domains of functional assessment (χ2 = 10.5, p = 0.001). The factors associated with functional impairment included an age older than 70 years, unmarried status, the presence of combined distressing symptoms, the loss of right ear advantage, the presence of multiple comorbid systemic diseases, and the need for hearing aids. Conclusion: Elderly patients with HI have vital functional limitations in daily living activities in Nigeria. The factors associated with the limitations deserve urgent attention