Access to hearing health service in Curitiba-PR for the elderly with hearing loss and tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of complaints of hearing loss and tinnitus in a group of seniors and their access to hearing health services in the city of Curitiba. METHOD: 578 elderly, attending general practice clinic of two public hospitals in the city. Three questionnaires were applied: for user identification, to check for hearing loss/tinnitus and on access to hearing health services. RESULTS: Of the 578 subjects, 187 (31%) had hearing complaints and 112 (20%) had tinnitus; of these, 72% have never had an audiological evaluation, 12% received treatment for tinnitus without success, 16% reported having hearing aids, 14% had hearing aid devices managed by SUS; 76% of the sample showed the desire to carry out an assessment and be awarded hearing aids; 37% did not know where to seek help. CONCLUSION: The number of individuals with hearing complaints in the studied group is significant, as is the number of people with hearing complaints such as tinnitus who have never had a hearing examination. The access of people to public programs is deficient in this group.