Impact of voice and swallowing problems in the elderly

TLDR

Voice and swallowing problems are common among older adults, yet many consider them normal aging and remain unaware of treatment options. The study aimed to assess the prevalence, quality‑of‑life impact, treatment trends, and barriers to care for voice and swallowing problems in older adults. Researchers conducted a cross‑sectional survey of 248 independent‑living retirees, collecting dysphonia/dysphagia prevalence, voice‑related quality‑of‑life scores, dysphagia severity ratings, depression scores, and treatment barriers, and analyzed the data with Spearman correlations and ANOVA. Among the participants (mean age 82.4), 19.8 % had dysphonia, 13.7 % dysphagia, and 6 % both; severe swallowing difficulty was associated with poorer voice‑related quality of life (ρ = –0.

Abstract

1) Evaluate the prevalence and quality-of-life impact of voice and swallowing problems in the elderly; 2) determine treatment trends and barriers to treatment.Cross-sectional study of independent-living residents in two retirement communities. Prevalence of dysphonia and dysphagia, voice-related quality of life (VRQOL), 7-point Likert scale of dysphagia severity, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, and barriers to treatment were collected. Spearman correlation and ANOVA statistics were performed.A total of 248 residents responded with a mean age of 82.4 years; 19.8 percent had dysphonia, 13.7 percent dysphagia, and 6 percent both. Respondents with more severe swallowing difficulty had greater impairment on the VRQOL (P = 0.04, Spearman correlation = -0.4). Respondents with both dysphonia and dysphagia had greater depression scores than those with neither symptom (mean CES-D score 15.5 vs 9.9, P = 0.009, ANOVA, P < 0.05, Bonferroni t test). Only 22.4 percent and 20.6 percent had sought treatment for dysphonia and dysphagia, respectively. Being unaware of treatment options and viewing voice and swallowing trouble as a normal part of aging were the most common reasons for not seeking treatment.Voice and swallowing problems are common in the elderly, but they are not realizing potential treatment benefits.