Dual sensory loss: A major age-related increase of comorbid hearing loss and hearing aid ownership in visually impaired adults

• Published in: Geriatrics & gerontology international Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 570 - 576
• Main Authors: Vreeken, Hilde L, van Rens, Ger HMB, Knol, Dirk L, van Reijen, Nadja A, Kramer, Sophia E, Festen, Joost M, van Nispen, Ruth MA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2014
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; audiological rehabilitation; Belgium; Blindness; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hearing aids; Hearing Aids - statistics & numerical data; hearing impaired persons; Hearing loss; Hearing Loss - epidemiology; Hearing Loss - rehabilitation; Humans; Insurance policies; low vision; Male; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Older people; Ownership - statistics & numerical data; Prevalence; Self Report; Vision, Low - complications; Vision, Low - rehabilitation; visually impaired persons; Belgium; Netherlands; low vision; visually impaired persons; audiological rehabilitation; hearing impaired persons; hearing aids
• ISSN: 1444-1586; 1447-0594
• DOI: 10.1111/ggi.12136

Aim Despite increasing interest in visual and hearing impairment in the older population, little attention has been paid to concurrent hearing and vision loss, also known as dual sensory loss. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of comorbid hearing disability and hearing aid ownership in visually impaired older adults. Methods In a cross‐sectional survey, a self‐report hearing disability screener was administered to 1396 visually impaired patients (aged ≥50 years) of outpatient low vision rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands and Belgium. Results Of all participants, 44.8% (95% CI 42.2–47.5) had insufficient or poor hearing; the prevalence increased quadratically with age. Of all dual sensory impaired participants, 31.2% in the Netherlands and 55.7% in Belgium did not own hearing aids. Conclusions The high prevalence of dual sensory loss calls for more awareness of related problems in these patients. Differences between the Netherlands and Belgium regarding hearing aid ownership might be due to different criteria used for hearing aid referral and insurance policies. For patients with dual sensory loss, specialized care implemented in low vision rehabilitation seems warranted. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 570–576.