USE OF SELF-ASSESSED QUESTIONNAIRES AS DUAL SENSORY SCREENING TOOLS IN GALICIAN GOVERNMENT  NURSERY HOMES

Vazquez C, del Oro CP, Gigirey LM.

University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Evidence exists that up to 30% of persons over the age 65 years have undiagnosed hearing loss, and that up to 18% have undiagnosed some visual disfuntion. In Galician (Spain) there are 21,3% over 65 and 9.2% with hearing problems and 10% with visual problems.

Purpose: we wanted validate the Hearing-dependent Daily Activities (HDDA Scale) and  Functional Vision Screening questionnaire as a means of identifying the impact of hearing loss and visual impairment in older persons on Galician Government Nursery Homes. On the project Doctoral Thesis (pilot study)

Methods: we realized a observational study to validate a questionnaires administered during personal interview (108 persons) aged 65 years and older. Also used auditory and visual test to identify patient with hearing and visual   impairment. 

Tonal audiometry were use to determine hearing capacity o the elderly using  Ventry and Weinstein criteria and  use Visual acuity(VA) to determine visual function with WHO criteria and over  we pass the Whispered  Voice Test .

Results:   Of the 108 potencial participants selected in the pilot study,  we had average age of interview was 77,14  ;  30 were man and 78 were woman. The 67% of participants did not complete primary school.

According to the criterion standard,   41.66 %   participants had hearing impairment and  22.22%    had visual impairment. The scale HDDA showed 68:57% must have gone to Audiology or ORL specialist and  Functional Vision screening  questionnaire showed  34.28% must have gone to Optometrist.

Due to psychosocial and linguistic characteristic to Galician nursery homes older people, first results show discrepancies significatives between  self-assessed questionnaires and result in auditory and visual test.

Conclusion: We need adapt self-assessed questionnaires to the cultural patterns, education and linguistic older people  reality in Galician Community.

Email:  luz.gigirey@usc.es