The reported prevalence of communication disorders in nursing home populations varies considerably. In this study a total of 535 residents in five nursing homes and five hostels were screened for hearing loss, cognitive deficits, aphasia, poor speech intelligibility, dysphonia and pragmatic deficits. Of the 434 residents who could complete the test procedures, ninety-eight per cent of nursing home residents and 92% of hostel residents failed on at least one of the screening measures. Hearing loss and cognitive deficits were the most frequent problems. Seventy per cent of subjects failed on more than one of the screening tests, consistent with the multiplicity of disease processes in the elderly population. The high proportion of elderly people who failed one or more of the screening tests indicates the need for further research to investigate the complex nature of communication impairment and handicap in the elderly living in residential care. In addition, tests with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity need to be developed for this population. The link between communication disorder and quality of life also warrants further investigation.
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Worrall et al. (1993) studied this question.
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