Hearing lost: The challange of audiology care for care home residents
Our report highlights the challenge of getting audiology care for care home residents.
We surveyed local care home managers by phone to gain an understanding of the current state of audiology care for residents. We also asked a series of questions regarding earwax removal services.
This was a fact finder project to give a basic understanding of any challenges people are facing. We focused on understanding the experiences of people living in care homes, because 80% of residents live with hearing loss and their voices are not always heard.
Key findings
- Hearing loss often goes undiagnosed and unsupported, leading to isolation, cognitive decline, and increased falls.
- Low hearing aid use among those who could benefit, due to a lack of staff training and maintenance.
- Lack of staff training leading to ineffective or harmful communication practices.
- Noise levels, poor lighting, and lack of technology often make communal areas inaccessible to those with hearing loss.
- Access for residents to audiology services and earwax removal remains inadequate.
Areas for improvement
- Carry out hearing loss audits of physical environments.
- Have clear protocols for hearing aid maintenance and use.
- Provide experiential training for all staff to understand the lived reality of hearing loss.
- Embed hearing loss champions within each care team.
- Make assistive equipment such as amplifiers readily available.
- Improve access to hearing tests, audiology services, and earwax removal.
- Provide better information for residents and families on hearing support tools and services.
Read our report in full
If you would like this report in a different format, email info@healthwatchwolverhampton.co.uk or call 0800 246 5018.
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Hearing lost: The challange of audiology care for care home residents
