UCSF

Background: Hearing loss is highly prevalent, especially among older adults. Left untreated, hearing loss is linked to negative outcomes, that affect both the person with hearing loss and the communication partner. Previous research has shown that hearing loss can negatively affect their physical and mental health, as well as their psychosocial functioning but the use of hearing aids can reduce these negative effects. The current longitudinal study aimed to investigate the potential effect of hearing aid use on psychosocial functioning in both people with hearing impairment and their communication partners in a community sample across one year.

Methods: Data were from 84 hearing impaired persons and 81 communication partners recruited as part of a longitudinal qualitative and quantitative study designed to examine the experiences of hearing impaired older adults and their communication partners over the course of one year. Participants completed the Short Form of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE-S), the emotional subscale of the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), and the 20-Item Short Form Survey (SF-20) at baseline and then again after intervals of three and 12 months.

Results: Hearing aid use was negatively associated with hearing handicap index scores for both participants with hearing loss (p < 0.0001) and communication partners (p < 0.0001) indicating hearing aid use reduced hearing handicap for both hearing impaired participants and communication partners. Hearing aid use was not associated with scores on the PAIR or SF-20 for either the participants with hearing loss or their communication partners.

Discussion: Hearing aid use reduced hearing handicap for both hearing impaired persons and their communication partners. Nurses can increase awareness and provide education about the negative consequences of untreated hearing loss for the hearing impaired person and their communication partner with the goal of facilitating earlier access to hearing aids.