When communicating with older adult clients, the nurse recognizes that
a. hearing problems can diminish an older person's ability to interact with others.
b. hearing loss associated with normal aging begins after age 40 years.
c. older adults who experience hearing loss initially cannot hear lower-frequency sounds of vowels.
d. older adults distinguish sounds better against background noises.
ANS: A
Hearing problems can diminish an older person's ability to interact with others, attend concerts and other social functions, and understand medical directions. Hearing loss associated with normal aging begins after age 50 due to loss of hair cells (which are not replaced) in the organ of Corti in the inner ear. This change leads initially to a loss in the ability to hear high-frequency sounds (e.g., f, s, th, sh, ch) and is called presbycusis. Lower-frequency sounds of vowels are preserved longer. Older adults have special difficulty in distinguishing sounds against background noises and in understanding fast-paced speech.
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