Cascading Effects of Resident Hearing Loss: Opportunities for Hearing Wellness

Hearing loss is a pervasive health condition in post-acute and long-term care settings with up to 90% of residents experiencing some degree of loss but only 15 to 30% are hearing aid users. Unaddressed hearing loss affects 1) communication, 2) cognition, and 3) listening skills with cascading effects on cognitive decline, dementia, falls, depression, social isolation, loneliness, and overall poorer physical health and quality of life. Although evidence-based practices exist for screening, evaluation, and treatment of hearing loss in older adults in community-based settings, there are specific challenges to their implementation in PALTC settings.