Cognitive Decline and Hearing Health Care for Older Adults.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to consider the implications of age-related cognitive decline for hearing health care.

METHOD

Recent research and current thinking about age-related declines in cognition and the links between auditory and cognitive aging are reviewed briefly. Implications of this research for improving prevention, assessment, and intervention in audiologic practice and for enhancing interprofessional teamwork are highlighted.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the important connection between auditory and cognitive aging and given the high prevalence of both hearing and cognitive impairments in the oldest older adults, health care services could be improved by taking into account how both the ear and the brain change over the life span. By incorporating cognitive factors into audiologic prevention, assessment, and intervention, hearing health care can contribute to better hearing and communication as well as to healthy aging.