This study aims to offer the necessary basic data for the support of social
welfare services and the preparation of policies for the hearing impaired
elderly by researching the overall current livelihood and the desire for social
welfare services of the hearing impaired elderly. As regards data collection,
the study utilized and re-analyzed “The investigative report of the current
conditions and desire for welfare of the deaf and the speech disordered
elderly in Daegu” conducted in 2006 by the Daegu Rehabilitation Center for
the Deaf and the Speech Disordered.
As a result it is shown that the hearing impaired elderly had a higher
desire for free medical service, physical therapy, free medical checkup, the
repair and support of assistive devices, consultations on health, presentations
about health, and a home nursing support service. Meanwhile, their desire for
Chinese character/Japanese/Chinese classes, Korean language education,
culture lectures, computer class, and community lecture services was
relatively low. To put it another way, their desire for medical services was
high, whereas their desire for education and leisure support services was
low.
In taking a look at their desire for social welfare services according to
their gender, age, disability level, and the period of hearing loss, the results include the following: According to gender, there were significant differences
in the senior's gathering, Korean language education, and Chinese
character/Japanese/Chinese classes. According to age, there were significant
differences in book borrowing, hello calls, birthday parties, picnics, sports
days, and job brokerage services. According to disability level, there were
significant differences in free shavings and haircut, free meals, consultations
on health, free medical checkup, and Korean language education service.
According to the period of hearing loss, there were significant differences in
the Parents' Day event, free medical service, aid (forming sponsorship)
support, the supply of goods to low income families, Korean language
education, and the service of a class for hobbies.
Therefore, in establishing effective prevention and intervention strategies
for the hearing impaired elderly, it is necessary to take into consideration
their gender, age, disability level, and the period of hearing loss.