Counseling the Hearing-Impaired Older Adult

Abstract

Older adults use more prescription medication than any other segment of our society. They consume about 1/4 of all prescription drugs while comprising only 1/10 of the general population.²³ This widespread use of medications, while perhaps increasing longevity and improving the quality of life of older adults, also subjects these patients to a wide array of adverse drug reactions which often may be more serious than the illness for which the medication was prescribed. It has been documented that the risk of adverse reactions nearly doubles in the aged compared to younger adults.²¹ One report found that 60 percent of an elderly outpatient population made errors in self-medication, and more than 25 percent of these committed potentially serious errors.²⁵ An alarming number of older adults are admitted to hospitals as a direct result of preventable drug reactions.²⁶

As noted earlier, presbycusis afflicts nearly 14 million (60 percent) of the individuals over age 65, and these older adults are particularly vulnerable to drug-use problems. A significant number have difficulty taking their medication in the manner intended by the physician because of inadequate instruction and poor comprehension of directions resulting from hearing-impairment. An understanding of the social and medical implications of hearing impairment in the older adult and the use of the basic communication techniques described in this paper will assist the pharmacist to improve his counseling efforts in the hearing-impaired older adult. ≃