Relationship between Hearing Impairment and Cognitive Status and Balance Confidence among Geriatric Patients

Background: Hearing impairment is a growing public healthcare issue in the world that increases with age. It has a
significant impairment in all aspects of life especially among geriatric patients and its increased severity is directly
associated with greater negative consequences. Aim: Assess the relationship between hearing impairment and
cognitive status and balance confidence among geriatric patients. Method: A descriptive research design was
utilized with a purposive sample of 112 geriatric patients diagnosed with hearing impairment and met the inclusion
criteria. Setting: This study was conducted in the outpatient audiology clinic of otolaryngology department at Main
Mansoura University Hospital. Tools: Data was collected using three tools; Geriatric Patient’s Demographic
Characteristics and Clinical Data Structured Interview Schedule, Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale and
Activities-Specific Balance Confidence scale. Results: This study was reported that, 57.1% of the studied subjects
had mild grade of hearing impairment, whereas 34.8% of them had a moderate grade of hearing impairment. As for
cognitive status, 43.8% of the studied subjects had mild cognitive function impairment, 19.6% of them had a
moderate cognitive function impairment. While, 71.4% of the studied subjects had a high level of balance
confidence, 28.6% of them had a moderate level of balance confidence. A statistical significant relation found
between the severity of hearing impairment and the studied subjects’ age, sex, marital status, level of education and
work before retirement p ≤ 0.05 respectively. A highly statistically significant negative relation between the severity
of hearing impairment of the studied subjects and their cognitive status and balance confidence p ≤ 0.01 respectively.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that, mild grade of hearing impairment is the most prevalent grade among studied
subjects followed by moderate grade. Severe grade of hearing impairment was found in older age group than the
younger age group, in female than males and in those who are illiterate. More than one third of the studied subjects
who have moderate grade of hearing impairment have moderate cognitive function impairment and all the studied
subjects who have severe grade of hearing impairment have moderate level of balance confidence.
Recommendations: Assess the geriatric patients' knowledge and skills they utilize to overcome hearing impairment
problems and design an educational program for them about treatment adherence and using hearing aids to improve
their cognitive function, psychosocial status and balance confidence.