Hearing and vision loss in older adults: noticing it, easier communication and safety

Hearing and vision loss are common in later life but should not simply be accepted as “old age”. Someone who cannot hear or see well may withdraw from conversations, become lonely, fall, or be wrongly judged to be “getting forgetful” because they give unexpected answers to questions. Many causes can be treated or noticeably helped with aids and devices.

Signs of hearing loss

• Turning the television up very loud
• Often asking “what did you say?”, being unable to follow conversations in a group
• Not hearing the phone or avoiding phone calls
• Giving off-topic answers to questions, withdrawing from conversations

Signs of vision loss

• Giving up reading, handicrafts or watching television
• Bumping into things, hesitating on stairs, falls
• Difficulty recognising faces, unusual sensitivity to light
• Spilling food, mixing up medicines

Check-ups

For hearing complaints, the doctor examines the ears; the cause can be something as simple as earwax. Do not try to clean the ears with cotton buds. For the eyes, regular eye examinations are important: cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye damage have more treatment options when found early. People with diabetes in particular should have regular eye checks.

Emergencies

Sudden loss of vision, a curtain coming down over part of the vision, sudden double vision or severe eye pain need urgent assessment; if they come with a drooping face, weakness in an arm or slurred speech, call your local emergency number (112 in Türkiye and across the EU). Sudden hearing loss in one ear should also be assessed without delay, on the same day.

Communicating with someone who has hearing loss

• Speak where they can see your face, with the light falling on your face.
• Do not shout; speak clearly, a little more slowly and in a normal tone.
• Turn off the television or radio in the background.
• If a sentence is not understood, say it in different words rather than repeating it exactly.
• Give important information (appointments, medicine changes) in writing as well.

Hearing aid care

Check the battery or charge every day and clean the part that goes in the ear as the manufacturer recommends. Communicating with someone who is not wearing their hearing aid is often misleading; make sure it is in place, especially at doctor appointments and during hospital stays.

Setting up the home for vision loss

• Bright, glare-free lighting on stairs, in corridors and in the bathroom.
• Contrasting tape on the edges of stair steps and on thresholds.
• Say before you move things; everything should have a fixed place.
• Large-print calendars, phones and medicine labels; a magnifier if needed.
• Keep glasses clean and up to date; label reading and distance glasses so they are not mixed up.