Care England, the leading representative body for independent adult social care providers, in collaboration with Engage and Nightingale Hammerson, has today launched a powerful new White Paper calling for urgent and coordinated action to improve support for care home residents living with hearing loss.
The White Paper takes recommendations from research carried out by University of Manchester researchers based at the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD). They found that unaddressed hearing loss is highly prevalent in care homes, impacting on residents’ quality of life. The research identified several barriers relating to caregivers’ knowledge of hearing loss and opportunities for care homes to work with audiologists. Unclear responsibilities relating to hearing care and residents’ difficulties adapting to, or being comfortable wearing, hearing aids were also identified.
Titled “Hearing Loss in Care Homes – A Call to Action”, the paper brings together nearly a decade of practical experience from Engage’s work across over 35 care homes, alongside extensive research and insights from Nightingale Hammerson, where the Engage project has been running for over three years.
With at least 80% of residents in older people’s care homes living with hearing loss, the paper highlights the widespread impact of unaddressed hearing needs – from increased risks of dementia and falls, to social isolation, depression, and avoidable distress.
To download the White Paper, click on the button below.
