Social isolation of older adults is a growing health problem. According to JAMA, “many older adults suffer from social isolation due to multiple factors, including grief from the loss of a loved one, disability or lack of transportation.” Add the fact that 43% of women aged 75+ live alone – making them more at risk. And Medicare spends at least $6.7 billion more on socially isolated older adults. Then factor in hearing loss – a factor that worsens social isolation, particularly for women. Doctors suggest that social isolation be discussed in health visits. It has been said that loneliness and social isolation have the health effect of smoking 15 cigarettes per day. However, this seems unlikely to be discussed in today’s time of shorter and shorter in-person doctor visits, now averaging 15-18 minutes, which could increase the possibility of inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. The primary care physician may not be focused on the relationship of hearing loss and social isolation. One study showed that hearing loss was last among the conditions a doctor checked with patients as to whether their hearing fell within normal ranges. Further, hearing loss is the least commonly discussed or likely to flag a recommendation for further screening.
Worsening hearing loss usually leads to an audiologist visit. This is particularly appropriate when an individual is showing signs of dementia and also has hearing loss. In fact, one in 27 Americans aged 50 and older has demonstrable hearing loss. However, in general, those with hearing loss put off seeing an audiologist for as much as 9-10 years. During that time, the risk of social isolation grows as these individuals cannot hear conversations well and tend to avoid them, especially in group settings. In addition, hearing loss impedes social connections for senior living residents – and while there are deaf-friendly assisted living communities, most older adults moving into assisted living may not evaluate the community’s capacity to support the 60% of residents with hearing loss, especially if hearing loss is not yet severe.
Training matters. Those who interact with older adults professionally need to step up their awareness and training to help those with hearing loss. This could include training aides and nursing staff to notice signs of social isolation related to hearing loss, recognizing the correlation between hearing loss and apparent dementia, helping to identify strategies to improve the physical environment for better resident communication. If an individual has home care services in their home, professionals caring for them should understand how best to support those with hearing loss, including the best way to communicate with them.
