Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: October | Volume: 8 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 218-222
Self-Assessed Hearing Handicap and Quality of Life in Elderly Population
Jayasankar Panda1, Dr. Santa Misra2, Dr. Supriya Pattanayak3
1Speech Therapist, Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training Research, Cuttack, Odisha
2Principal and Associate Professor of Psychology, Sri Sathya Sai College, Ramadevi University for Women, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
3Professor, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Corresponding Author: Jayasankar Panda
ABSTRACT
Hearing loss can occur throughout the life span. Presbycusis is the most common cause of hearing loss in elderly individuals. There is large individual variability in perceived hearing handicap, quality of life and the amount of change with age. This study aimed to study the effect of hearing loss on self-assessed hearing handicap and on quality of life in elderly population. The sample included one hundred twenty elderly individuals with hearing loss. After pure tone audiometry, the participants completed Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly and World Health Organization Quality of Life - Short version. The results revealed higher level of self-assessed handicap and poorer quality of life with increase in degree of hearing impairment. This article will help audiologists and other health professionals in measuring amount of hearing loss with reference to perceived handicap and quality of life for healthy ageing process.
Key words: Presbycusis, Hearing Handicap, Quality of Life, Elderly