There is a paucity of information regarding the prevalence and causes of communication disorders in the elderly. Patients admitted to the acute ward of a department of medicine for the elderly were screened to ascertain the number of people presenting with communication disorders and to identify the underlying cause of the disorder. Patients were screened for deficits in speech, language, vision, hearing and cognition. The results indicate that 73% of the elderly population screened had speech and/or language problems, 11 % had visual deficits, 36% had hearing problems and 56% had a cognitive deficit on admission to hospital. These results have implications for patient care and staff training.
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