Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 15, 2025

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Sensory Loss and Social Connection in Older Adults: A Narrative Review
Alison R Huang1, Jonathan J Suen2, Louay Almidani3
1Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
None:
Sensory losses, particularly hearing and vision impairments, are highly prevalent among older adults and significantly impact social connection. These losses contribute to communication difficulties, increased cognitive load, and reduced participation in social activities. Environmental and physiologic factors, along with chronic conditions and health behaviors, further influence the severity of sensory decline. Disparities exist based on age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status. This article explores the epidemiology of sensory loss, its mechanisms affecting social connection, and highlights the critical role of treatment and clinician intervention in enhancing social connectedness among older adults experiencing sensory impairment.
Related Concept Videos
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...

