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Older adults and hearing help-seeking behaviors
Gabrielle H Saunders1, Theresa H Chisolm, Margaret I Wallhagen
1National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA. Gabrielle.saunders@va.gov
American Journal of Audiology
|December 13, 2012
Summary
Older adults often delay seeking hearing healthcare, despite effective treatments like hearing aids. Understanding complex, multifactorial models is key to improving help-seeking behaviors for hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Untreated hearing loss in older adults has significant negative secondary consequences.
- Hearing aid uptake and utilization remain low, despite their effectiveness as a treatment.
- Help-seeking behaviors for hearing difficulties are complex and influenced by various factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the existing literature on help-seeking behaviors for hearing healthcare among older adults.
- To identify factors influencing help-seeking for hearing loss and compare them with other chronic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a comprehensive literature review.
- Examined studies on help-seeking for hearing-related communication difficulties.
- Analyzed literature on help-seeking for other chronic medical conditions.
Main Results:
- Hearing aids are an effective treatment for hearing loss in older adults, yet their use is low.
- Models for understanding help-seeking and decision-making in older adults with hearing loss were identified.
- Recommendations for future research directions were discussed.
Conclusions:
- Help-seeking behaviors for hearing loss are multifactorial and share commonalities with other chronic conditions.
- Multifactorial models, such as the Health Belief Model or Transtheoretical Stages of Change, are recommended for examining these behaviors.
- Further research is needed to understand and improve help-seeking for hearing healthcare in older adults.
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