World Hearing Day is held on 3 March each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world.
This year’s theme, “Changing mindsets: empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!” emphasises how by encouraging individuals to recognise the importance of ear and hearing health, people can be inspired to change behaviour to protect their hearing from loud sounds and prevent hearing loss, check their hearing regularly, use hearing devices if needed, and support those living with hearing loss. Empowered individuals can drive change within themselves and in society at large. Part of the outputs this year is a new WHO global standard for safe listening in video game play and sports.
Anyone working in the care home or home care sector in Scotland will know just how significant the issues of hearing loss are for so many individuals who receive care and support. Indeed, according to Scottish Government data, around 850,000 people in Scotland have hearing loss, which is roughly one in six of the population; with estimates suggesting that 70% of those with hearing loss are over 70 years old. This number is projected to increase significantly in the coming years.
The very hiddenness of hearing loss is one of the many reasons why there is less societal focus on the necessary adjustments and changes which can be made to ensure that individuals are more included and involved and to ensure that those living with hearing issues are able to play their full part as citizens in their communities.
Hearing loss is not just a health condition; it is an issue which affects virtually everything about an individual’s life and how they relate to others and their sense of belonging whether in residential care or their own community. It shapes how people experience the world, how they connect, how they express themselves, and how they are included – or excluded – from society.
For too many older people, hearing impairment is a slow erosion of connection, a gradual retreat into isolation. And in a sector that prides itself on person-led, relationship-based care, this presents a fundamental challenge and one – if I am being completely honest – in the midst of other competing priorities does not receive sufficient attention.
A recent study by the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) found that while many older people benefit from hearing aids, 40% of those who need them do not use them effectively. Batteries go flat. Devices get lost. Staff may lack training in how to support residents with hearing aids, leading to frustration and a loss of confidence in the very technology that should empower them.
And then there are those for whom hearing aids are not the answer – people who have been Deaf since birth or who have profound hearing loss requiring British Sign Language (BSL) or other communication support. In truth the care sector across the UK has been slow to adapt to their needs, with BSL provision remaining patchy at best and little resource allocated by commissioners and funders to release staff for training and development.
Imagine living in a care home where every conversation around you is muffled, distorted, or completely inaudible. Where announcements about mealtimes or activities do not reach you. Where staff – however well-intentioned – speak too fast, do not face you, or assume you can hear because you have a hearing aid.
The result? Many older people with hearing loss become socially withdrawn. They stop participating in group activities. They disengage from conversations. They are mislabelled as confused or unresponsive, when in reality, they simply cannot hear what is being said.
And let us be very clear: hearing impairment is a risk factor for cognitive decline, depression, and even increased mortality. This is not a marginal issue – it is central to dignity, quality of life, and fundamental rights.
So, what can we do? The answer is not complicated, but it does require cultural and systemic change. It also requires yet again a targeted resource and finance that allows people to address the discrimination that happens when resources are absent.
As a society we should develop a Charter for Inclusion – and for me the primary action for deafness is staff training and awareness raising. Every care home and homecare provider should ensure staff receive training on hearing loss awareness. This includes understanding hearing aids, learning basic communication strategies (such as speaking slowly, facing the person, and reducing background noise), and being aware of the signs of undiagnosed hearing loss.
Routine hearing checks should be part of life plans for those who receive care and support services, just as vision and oral health assessments are. Care homes should have direct referral pathways to audiology services, ensuring that hearing aids are maintained and adjusted as needed.
Not all hearing loss is the same. Some people need written communication, others benefit from visual cues, and some require BSL or lip-reading support. Care providers should be proactive in tailoring communication to each individual.
We live in an era of smart hearing technology and assistive devices. From amplified telephones to captioned video calling, there are many tools that can enhance communication – if only they are made available and integrated into care and support and fiscal resource prioritised to make their purchase and use possible.
One of the greatest failings in this space is the lack of robust data on hearing loss in Scotland’s care sector. Most of the data we have is years out of date and there has been little focus to address this.
We simply do not know how many care home residents are experiencing undiagnosed hearing loss; or how many are not using their hearing aids correctly and how many care staff have had training in communication with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
This data gap is a real system and clinical, social care failure. Without accurate information, we cannot plan services, allocate resources, or advocate for the change that is so desperately needed.
If we are serious about person-led care, then hearing loss must be on the agenda. We must listen to the unheard. We must identify adequate resource and funding to ensure real inclusion.
Despite all the undoubted challenges facing it I believe it is possible for Scotland’s care sector to lead by example. To embed hearing care into the heart of what we do. To ensure that no one in a care home or receiving homecare is left in silence.
Because in the end, this is not just about hearing – it is about being heard.
The American poet Camisha L Jones reflects on the transformative impact of hearing aids, celebrating the newfound access to sounds and the emotional resonance they bring. Being heard changes your life.
Ode to My Hearing Aids.
Then God said
let there be sound
and divided the silence
wide enough for music
to be let in and it was a good groove
And God said
let there be overflow
sent sound in all directions
pin drops & children’s laughter
phones ringing & plates clattering
and it was kind of good but too much at times
So God said
let there be volume control
let there be choice how loud life should be
and there came the power to fade
the voices, the annoyances, the noise
and that was mighty good for all the unnecessary drama
Then God said let there be surprise, startle even
at the bird’s chirp, the ice maker,
the cabinet slammed shut
let there be delight
at the first calls in months
to father & best friend
and these were such good reasons for choking back tears
that God saw
the dark & the light
dangling brilliantly from each ear
and God whispered amen
then smiled when it was heard.
From Flare (Finishing Line Press, 2017). Copyright © 2017 by Camisha L. Jones. Used with the permission of the author.
