Despite the royal commission’s calls for a deep cultural shift towards wellness and prevention and the valuing and integration of allied health, there are no plans for funding increases to access these services.
And despite government support for the recommendations, there is still no routine hearing screening and assessment included in the provision of aged care services. With reduced access to services such as audiology linked to poor outcomes in aged care – including risk of dementia, mental health problems, malnutrition and falls – at what cost does this inaction come?
Audiology Australia is among members of the Hearing Health Sector Alliance, which is calling for action to ensure the effective identification and treatment of hearing loss in aged care.
At least 90 per cent of aged care residents have significant hearing impairment, which mostly goes unrecognised and unsupported. Untreated hearing loss results in communication difficulties, reduced quality of life, social isolation and depression.
Hearing loss is also communication loss. If left untreated, it reduces not only quality of life but access and quality of medical care, support and lifestyle services including other allied health disciplines. Hearing loss also reduces a resident’s functional ability and independence, leading to increased care needs and demands on staff.
We cannot and should not ever accept complacency in addressing hearing outcomes within aged care
Potential impacts of hearing health on cognitive decline are also compelling with growing evidence of a link between untreated, mid-life hearing loss and risk for dementia.
Among those already living with dementia, untreated hearing loss can significantly exacerbate the disease’s impacts on communication, functional and cognitive ability and independence, and lead to higher care needs, worsened behaviours of concern, increased use of pharmaceutical and physical restraint, and greater care costs.
We cannot and should not ever accept complacency in addressing hearing outcomes within aged care. Ability to communicate with your families, peers and care staff is a human right with benefits that can be simply measured and quantified.
As Pat Sparrow, chief executive of COTA Australia, noted in her article earlier this year, “Older people can’t keep waiting for their rights to be recognised and upheld in aged care.”
Quality indicators for hearing care should be based on key structure, process, and outcome indicators. All aged care clients should be afforded routine screening and assessment on an annual basis to identify hearing or communication needs and staff provided with the training, and time (funded) to support hearing health care.
Leanne Emmerson is chief executive officer of Audiology Australia
More stakeholder views from this edition
Now is the time to save aged care for the future by Tom Symondson
Gender pay gap a stubborn reminder of entrenched inequality by Patricia Sparrow
Make a difference through listening and learning by Dr Claudia Meyer
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