2018 Volume 61 Issue 1 Pages 57-64
This study was conducted to clarify the difference in the handicap awareness of hearing loss between subjects with and without cognitive impairment, using the HHIE (Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly). A total of 59 patients with moderate hearing loss were divided into two groups by the presence or absence of cognitive impairment, and in the group with cognitive impairment, the difference between the families' perception and the subjects' own perception of the handicap of hearing loss was examined using a questionnaire (Nursing Home Hearing Handicap Index: NHHHI).
While 54.2% of the subjects with cognitive impairment are included in perceived No Handicap (0-16), only 16.7% of subjects in the group without cognitive impairment perceived No Handicap; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant. In the cognitive impairment group, the subjective perception of handicap diverged from the families' perception and was not in proportion to the severity of the deafness. However, about 40% of the subjects with cognitive impairment continued using hearing aids. Thus, in patients with cognitive impairment, not only subjective evaluation, but also evaluation by the families/caregivers is important for a precise assessment of the handicap of hearing loss.
