Communication challenges and response strategies of late-deafened older adults

A growing number of adults are aging with hearing impairments. Late-deafened individuals, who experience severe to profound hearing loss after acquiring spoken language, often face unique communication challenges in everyday activities. Despite these difficulties, little is known about the specific activities and contexts where they occur.

To identify activities that present communication challenges for late-deafened older adults and to explore the response strategies they adopt to manage these challenges.

The Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the daily challenges faced by individuals aging with long-term disabilities. Sixty participants (66.7 % female; M age = 69.3, SD = 6.0) with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss for at least ten years completed questionnaires and structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

The content analysis revealed communication challenges with healthcare appointments, entertainment events, interactions with unfamiliar people, and group activities. Specific difficulties included general hearing impairments, challenging listening environments, limitations of assistive technologies, reliance on auditory stimuli, and insufficient social support. To manage these challenges, participants employed various strategies, including the use of assistive technologies, personal amplification devices, communication repair techniques, adaptive communication methods, and disclosing their hearing status.

The findings highlight the diverse range of communication challenges faced by late-deafened older adults. The identified strategies illustrated their resilience and adaptability but also underscored areas for improvement. Enhanced assistive technologies, better environmental accommodations, and supportive policies are essential to address these challenges effectively.