Effect of Tinnitus Rehabilitation for Elderly Patients through a Visiting Service

Jeong, Seungyeop; Heo, Sohee; Oh, Hongyeop; Jin, In-Ki

doi:2018.14.1.41

Audiology and Speech Research > Volume 14(1); 2018 > Article

Research Paper

Audiology and Speech Research 2018;14(1): 41-47.
Published online: January 31, 2018.
doi: http://doi.org/10.21848/asr.2018.14.1.41

방문 서비스를 통한 노인의 이명 재활 효과

정승엽¹, 허소희², 오홍엽¹, 진인기¹

¹한림대학교 자연과학대학 언어청각학부·청각언어연구소
²한림대학교 일반대학원 언어병리청각학과

Effect of Tinnitus Rehabilitation for Elderly Patients through a Visiting Service

Seungyeop Jeong¹, Sohee Heo², Hongyeop Oh¹, In-Ki Jin¹

¹Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Research Institute of Audiology and Speech Pathology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
²Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Graduate School, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea

Correspondence

In-Ki Jin ,Tel: +82-33-248-2221 , Fax: +82-33-256-3420 , Email: inkijin@hallym.ac.kr

Received: December 21, 2017; Revised: January 12, 2018 Accepted: January 15, 2018. Published online: January 31, 2018.

ABSTRACT

Purpose:
The elderly care service is a welfare project which is led by the government of the Republic of Korea. Although there are various visiting services, such as visiting nursing, hearing care services are not included in the elderly care service. This study aims to identify the effect of tinnitus rehabilitation for elderly subjects through the use of a visiting service.
Method:
Fifteen elderly individuals with subjective tinnitus participated in this study. The rehabilitation for tinnitus, which consists of sound therapy and counseling, was provided to the local elderly welfare center through visiting services every two weeks for 8 weeks. The Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI) score was used as a measure both before and after rehabilitation. Another survey measured patient satisfaction with the visiting rehabilitation service.
Results:
Comparing THI scores recorded before and after the rehabilitation, total THI scores were significantly reduced from 32.35 to 18.8. In the case of the satisfaction survey, 93% of participants said they were satisfied with the visiting service; was 67% of participants indicated satisfaction with the sound therapy. Eighty-six percent of the participants responded that tinnitus rehabilitation should be included in the elderly care service.
Conclusion:
Tinnitus rehabilitation for elderly people through a visiting service may be effectively applied in the elderly care service.

Key Words: Tinnitus rehabilitation, Elderly care service, Sound therapy, Tinnitus handicap index.