Hospitalizations, Emergency Department Visits, and Home Health Use Among Older Adults With Sensory Loss.

This study examines healthcare resource use (hospitalizations, emergency department [ED] visits, and home health episodes) among adults 65 and older diagnosed with hearing, vision, or dual sensory loss (SL) seen in the primary care setting of an academic health system. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between SL (identified using ICD-10 codes) and healthcare resource use for 45,000 primary care patients. The sample included 5.5% ( = 2479) with hearing loss, 10.4% ( = 4697) with vision loss, and 1.0% with dual SL ( = 469). Hearing loss increased the likelihood of having an ED visit (OR = 1.22, CI: 1.07-1.39), and home health services (OR = 1.27, CI: 1.07-1.51) compared to older adults without any SL. Vision loss reduced the likelihood of having a hospitalization (OR = .81, CI: .73-.91). Findings support research into the drivers of healthcare use among older adults with sensory loss.