Hearing health of the elderly in the basic attention

Resumo

The amount of elderly people who reported having some difficulty hearing according to the last Census in 2010 exceeds 21,6% (9.717.328 individuals). The impact of a hearing loss resulting from the aging process may prevent the elderly from fully exercising their daily living activities, their autonomy, the ability to communicate, it also affects family and social relationships and can lead to isolation. The purpose of this study was to discuss hearing health in the face of aging in Primary Care. The sample consisted of elderly individuals, users of a health center, in the city of Campinas-SP. The instruments used in the research were 3 questionnaires. In addition, the elderly underwent inspection of the external acoustic meatus - meatoscopy and the holding of five group meetings to discuss topics related to hearing. Twelve elderly people participated in the study. The ages ranged from 61 to 78 years old. One subject was referred for auditory evaluation following the flow of the auditory health network of the township and two for removal of wax stopper in the care unit. There was evolution in the medical records of all the subjects who participated in the research. Five 30-minute meetings were proposed and held, with specific themes at each meeting. The questionnaires used enabled the referrals to other services. It was possible to sensitize the family health team about how hearing corroborates the quality of life of the elderly people