Abstract
This study is aimed to compare the measures of third party disability in spouses of elderly persons with different degrees of hearing loss using the Significant Other Scale for Hearing Disability (SOS-HEAR) and to obtain feedback from the participants about the items on the scale to identify culture-specific items with special reference to Indian context. Participants were fifty-seven spouses whose elderly partners had moderate, moderately severe or severe hearing loss. All spouses passed a pure tone screening at 40 dBHL across 0.5 to 4 kHz in each ear, with no significant cognitive deficits found on the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMT). Spouses self-administered or answered an interview for administration of the 27-item SOS-HEAR scale, consisting of six sub-scales. Scores of third party disability for the three hearing loss groups were compared for each sub-scale using the Kruskal-Wallis test, with Mann-Whitney U for post-hoc analysis. Suggestions were obtained from participants about the items on the scale. Statistically significant differences in the scores of third party disability were obtained across all sub-scales of SOS-HEAR between spouses of elderly persons with moderate and severe hearing loss. Significant differences were also found on sub-scales of communication changes and emotional reactions to adaptations between scores of spouses of elderly persons with moderate and moderately severe hearing loss. Feedback obtained from participants about specific items on the scale are reported. The extent of third party disability in spouses of elderly persons with hearing loss is influenced by the degree of hearing loss in the person. Communication burden increases and more changes in communication are warranted with an increase in hearing loss from moderate to severe degree. Relationship changes, going out and socializing, concern for partner, and emotional reactions to the adaptations necessary for dealing with a partner with hearing loss are influenced by the degree of hearing loss in the partner.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armero, O. (2001). Denied hearing loss and the significant other. The Hearing Journal, 54, 44–47.
Brooks, D. N., Hallam, R. S., & Mellor, P. A. (2001). The effects on significant others of providing a hearing aid to the hearing aid partner. British Journal of Audiology, 35, 165–171.
Campbell, R., & Plexico, L. (2012). Couples’ experiences of living with hearing impairment. Asia Pacific Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing, 15, 145–161.
CHABA. (1988). Speech understanding and aging. Working group on speech understanding and aging. Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics, and Biomechanics, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council. Journal of Acoustical Society of America, 83, 859–895.
Ciorba, A., Bianchini, C., Pelucchi, S., & Pastore, A. (2012). The impact of hearing loss on the quality of life of elderly adults. Clinical Intervention on Aging, 7, 159–163.
Dalton, D., Cruickshanks, K., Klein, B., Klien, R., Wiley, L., & Nondahl, D. (2003). The impact of hearing loss on quality of life in older adults. The Gerontologist, 43, 661–668.
Dewane, C. (2010). Hearing Loss in Older Adults—Its Effect on Mental Health. Social Work Today, 10, 18.
Fook, L., & Morgan, R. (2000). Hearing impairment in older people: a review. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 76, 537–541.
Gates, G. A. (2009). Central auditory processing in presbycusis: an epidemiologic perspecive. Hearing Care for Adults, 2009, 47–52.
Habanec, O. L. & Kelly-Campbell, R. J. (2015). Outcomes of Group Auditory Rehabilitation for unaided adults with hearing impairment and theirsignificant others. American Journal of Audiology, 24(1), 40-52..
Hallberg, L. (1999). Hearing impairment, coping and consequences on family life. Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative audiology, 32, 45–58.
HelpAge India (2015–16). Annual Report. https://www.helpageindia.org/wp-content/themes/helpageindia/pdf/Annual-Report-2015-16.pdf
Hetu, R., Riverin, L., Lalande, N., Getty, L., & St-cyr, C. (1988). The qualitative analysis of the handicap associated with occupational hearing loss. British Journal of Audiology, 22, 251–264.
Hickson, L., & Scarinci, N. (2007). Older adults with acquired hearing impairment: applying the ICF in rehabilitation. Seminars in Speech and Language, 28, 283–290.
Hodkinson, H. M. (1972). Evaluation of a mental test score for assessment of mental impairment in the elderly. Age and Ageing., 1(4), 233–238. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/1.4.233.
Jones, L., Kyle, J., & Wood, P. (1987). Words apart: Losing your hearing as an adult. Deafness: Social Aspects, 253–260.
Knussen, C., Tolson, D., Swan, I., Stott, D., Brogan, C., & Sullivan, F. (2004). The social and psychological impact of an older relative’s hearing difficulties. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 9, 3–15.
Mathers, C., Smith, A., & Concha, M. (2000). Global burden of hearing loss in the year 2000. Global Burden of Disease, 2000, 1–30.
Newman, C., & Weinstein, B. (1986). Judgments of perceived hearing handicap by hearing impaired elderly men and their spouses. Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 19, 109–115.
Preminger, J. (2003). Should significant others be encouraged to join adult group audiologic rehabilitation classes. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 14, 545–555.
Preminger, J., & Lind, C. (2012). Assisting communication partners in the setting of treatment goals: the development of goal sharing for partner’s strategy. Seminars in Hearing, 33(1), 53–64.
Preminger, J., & Meeks, S. (2012). The hearing impairment impact-significant other profile (HII-SOP) a tool to measure hearing loss-related quality of life in spouses of people with hearing loss. Journal of American Academy of Audiology, 23, 807–823.
Scarinci, N., Worall, L., & Hickson, L. (2008). The effect of hearing impairment in older people on spouse. International Journal of Audiology, 47, 141–151.
Scarinci, N., Worall, L., & Hickson, L. (2009). The effect of hearing impairment in older people on the spouse: development and psychometric testing of the significant other scale for hearing disability (SOS-HEAR). International Journal of Audiology, 48, 671–683.
Wallhagen, M., Strawbridge, W., Shema, S., & Kaplan, G. (2004). Impact of self-assessed hearing loss on a spouse: a longitudinal analysis of couples. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 59, 190–196.
World Health Organization. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health. Geneva: Switzerland.
World Health Organization (2012). https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/news/GE_65years.pdf
Yorgason, J., Piercy, F., & Piercy, S. (2007). Acquired hearing impairment in older couple relationships: an exploration of couple resilience processes. Journal of Aging Studies, 21, 215–228.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Informed Consent
None
Ethical Approval
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nandurkar, A., Shende, S. Third Party Disability in Spouses of Elderly Persons with Different Degrees of Hearing Loss. Ageing Int 45, 136–148 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-020-09366-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-020-09366-x