Challenges
Difficulty in communication
1. “It is well known that hearing loss has a considerable impact on individuals’ daily life, untreated hearing loss can lead to communication problems, social isolation, loneliness, and higher anxiety and depression rates.” (Vandenbroeke et al. 2025)
2. “In hearing-impaired patients, the listening effort required to improve communication leads to mental fatigue with a negative effect on cognitive resources being available for other cognitive tasks, resulting in cognitive decline.” (Mosnier et al. 2015)
References
Challenges
Less opportunities for social participation
1. Progressive age-related hearing loss not only affects speech understanding and daily communication, but also social functioning.” (Lammers et al. 2025)
2. “The impact that even mild to moderate hearing loss, when unaddressed, has on individual’s ability to enjoy life to the full should not be underestimated: As well as listening and communication, hearing loss can affect mental health, social integration and employment.” (Cuda et al. 2024)
Challenges
Loss of independence
“The impact that even mild to moderate hearing loss, when unaddressed, has on individual’s ability to enjoy life to the full should not be underestimated: As well as listening and communication, hearing loss can affect mental health, social integration and employment.” (Cuda et al. 2024)
Challenges
Isolation/social loneliness
“It is well known that hearing loss has a considerable impact on individuals’ daily life, untreated hearing loss can lead to communication problems, social isolation, loneliness, and higher anxiety and depression rates.” (Vandenbroeke et al. 2025)
Challenges
Increased risk of cognitive decline related to hearing loss:
“In the past two decades there is accumulating evidence indicating that untreated hearing loss is associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In 2020, and again in their 2024 update, the Lancet Commission on Dementia concluded that hearing loss is the most important modifiable risk factor for dementia.” (Lammers et al. 2025)
Challenges
Decreased quality of life
“Due to changes in communication patterns, quality of life is strongly reduced in hearing-impaired subjects. According to the National council on the Aging Report comprising 4394 participants only 39% of hearing-impaired elderly have an excellent health compared to 68% in the general population.” (Völter et al. 2020)
Challenges
Risk for depression:
“It is well known that hearing loss has a considerable impact on individuals’ daily life, untreated hearing loss can lead to communication problems, social isolation, loneliness, and higher anxiety and depression rates.” (Vandenbroeke et al. 2025)
Challenges
Increased caregiver burden
1.“This research study shows that spouses of older people with hearing impairment experience third-party disability as a result of their partners’ hearing impairment and that the SOS-HEAR could be used to identify the nature of the disability.” (Scarinci et al. 2012)
2.“Hearing loss poses a significant public health challenge among older adults, necessitating urgent interventions such as early screening, expanded access to hearing aids, and environmental noise control.” (Qingchun et al. 2025)