The missing link in aged care: how untreated hearing loss impacts mental health and mobility

EMMA SCANLAN, Principal Audiologist for Adults at Hearing Australia, explains the link between untreated hearing loss and mental health and mobility in aged care.

Underdiagnosed hearing loss and the underuse of hearing aids is prevalent in aged care homes, which can limit the ability for residents to hear, connect and engage. It’s estimated that up to 85% of residents living in Australian aged care facilities have a hearing loss and the number of residents that have hearing aids is substantially less.

Hearing loss is often dismissed as a normal part of aging but ignoring it can have serious effects on an individual’s mental health and physical safety. It’s hard to talk about quality of care in aged care without addressing hearing health.

For older Australians, especially in aged care settings, hearing loss is more than just a physical issue. Untreated hearing loss can negatively impact communication and social engagement, which leads to poorer health and wellbeing. This can lead to social isolation, loneliness and can reduce quality of life.¹

Despite hearing loss being a major issue impacting older Australians, it continues to be under-recognised. Hearing health must be seen as a core part of care not just an optional extra. The assumption that hearing loss is a normal part of aging can lead to missed opportunities for early intervention and prevention.

The link between hearing loss, social isolation and loneliness

A study² by National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL), the research division of Hearing Australia, found that hearing loss increases the risk of elderly adults feeling lonely. The study also showed that the risk of loneliness increases if their hearing problems affect their ability to communicate with people and take part in everyday activities with others. 

In positive news, a key message from the NAL study is that using hearing aids regularly can reduce the risk of loneliness. 

How untreated hearing loss affects mobility and the risk of falls 

For older Australians, untreated hearing loss can impact their ability to perform simple daily tasks. Research shows that individuals with severe hearing loss can have impaired mobility and physical performance.³ In fact, research shows that older adults with hearing loss are at 2.4 times greater risk of falls than their normal hearing peers.⁴

This can mean that those with a hearing loss can have a more sedentary way of life, are less independent and have reduced social interactions, which has an adverse effect on an individual’s overall mental health. This is why we need to move away from the idea that hearing loss is just part of getting older, as it has a big impact on all areas of health and wellbeing. 

What needs to change: why robust hearing health programs in aged care settings are crucial 

The key to lifting the low rates of hearing loss diagnosis and increasing intervention is having a strong hearing health program in residential aged care facilities. Robust hearing health programs that start at the resident’s intake would ensure that they have a hearing test at the outset followed by annual hearing checks.

Staff play a crucial role in assisting residents to navigate and access hearing services, from finding out what funding is available, to maintaining devices such as hearing aids, and supporting residents in their communication goals.

Hearing health needs to be part of the broader mental health conversation. For overall health and wellbeing, early intervention and prevention can help keep elderly Australians stay connected to the people and things they love.

^{1. National Acoustic Laboratories. Making a noise about hearing: factors to consider when developing hearing health awareness messages for Australians. Revised September 2020. https://www.nal.gov.au/making-a-noise-report/} 

^{2. National Acoustic Laboratories. The relationship of hearing loss with loneliness, social isolation, and psychosocial functioning in older people. Published February 2024. https://www.nal.gov.au/projects/the-relationship-of-hearing-loss-with-loneliness-socialisolation-and-psychosocial-functioning-in-older-people/} 

^{3. Lin TC, Yen M, Liao YC. Hearing loss is a risk factor of disability in older adults: a systematic review. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2019;85:103907. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2019.103907}

^{4. Campos L, Prochazka A, Anderson M, Kaizer A, Foster C, Hullar T. Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023;71(10):3163–3171. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18461}

Emma Scanlan is Principal Audiologist for Adults at Hearing Australia, mainly responsible for service delivery and quality for adults with complex needs. She has delivered clinical services in the paediatric and adult areas for many years, and manages policy and practice for clients who have severe and profound hearing loss, have poor communication ability, or have other impairments in addition to hearing loss.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Kunlathida Petchuen