Examination of differences between successful and unsuccessful elderly hearing aid candidates matched for age, hearing loss and gender.

This study examined group differences on a variety of measures for three groups of elderly hearing aid candidates matched for gender, age and hearing loss. These three groups were: (1) 26 candidates who declined amplification (non-adherents); (2) 24 individuals who purchased hearing aids, but subsequently returned them (rejected HA); and (3) 26 who purchased hearing aids and continued to use their hearing aids for at least the first 6 months following delivery (accepted HA). Following demonstration of adequate reliability for these measures, using the non-adherents as the test retest study sample, group differences were examined for each pre-fit measure. The group of non-adherents who declined amplification differed from the two groups who purchased hearing aids on their scores for the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) and for several scales of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) that assessed the individual's personal adjustment to hearing impairment. These findings were generally confirmed for the individual data, with the use of discriminant analysis. For the two groups who tried hearing aids, there were no group differences between those who retained them and those who did not. Discriminant analysis, however, indicated that those in the group who retained their (linear) hearing aids tended to have better finger dexterity and higher loudness discomfort levels than those who did not.