By Amber Kimball Hsu

This article is a part of the November/December 2021, Volume 33, Number 6, Audiology Today issue.

Hearing loss is a disabling and costly chronic condition affecting more than half of Americans 75 years of age and older (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2018), including Ms. Clara, (a pseudonym) a personal friend. Like Ms. Clara, many older Americans experience adverse impacts of hearing loss in their daily lives. These negative effects may include impaired social functioning, physical health (e.g., cognitive impairment, difficulty with balance, cardiac disorders), and emotional health (e.g., loneliness, depression) (Hogan et al, 2009; Jiam et al, 2016; Lin et al, 2011; McKee et al, 2018).  

Evidence supporting the association between untreated hearing loss and deleterious health outcomes (e.g., dementia, cardiac disorders, balance) is mounting (McKee et al, 2018). In addition to physical and emotional health and wellbeing, the global annual cost of unaddressed hearing loss is estimated at $750 billion, including loss of productivity, health care, and societal costs (World Health Organization, 2017). 

Despite recommendations by professional organizations for hearing screenings for older adults, hearing loss is often unrecognized and subsequently unaddressed by professionals outside of hearing-health care (American Academy of Audiology, 2020; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2019). Furthermore, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend screenings for hearing loss in older adults due to the limited evidence related to its pros and cons (2021).

This content is an exclusive benefit for American Academy of Audiology members.

If you're a member, log in and you'll get immediate access.

Member Login

If you're not yet a member, you'll be interested to know that joining not only gives you access to top-notch resources like this one, but also invitations to member-only events, inclusion in the member directory, participation in professional forums, and access to patient resources, tools, and continuing education. Join today!