Hearing Loss, Visual Acuity, and Cognitive Limitations Among Older Persons: What Matters?
Hearing Loss, Visual Acuity, and Cognitive Limitations Among Older Persons: What Matters?

Summary/Abstract: Research examining sensory impairments has been beset by several problems. To overcome these limitations, we use IPUMS-I data from the University of Minnesota. These census-type data have an N of over 11 million cases of persons 60+ years. These older persons are more likely to have vision limitations than hearing limitations; and older persons who suffer from dual losses are most likely to have cognitive limitations, followed by older persons who suffer only from hearing limitations; cognitive limitations are less likely to be found among those who suffer only vision limitations, and least likely to be seen among those having neither limitation. If professions adhere to a model guided by principles of informed consent, it requires the ability to understand the information being provided. Thus, practitioners need to assess their client’s hearing and seeing abilities before providing information that they expect older persons to recall and to use.

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