Care Homes and Sector Leaders Unite To Improve Support For Residents Living with Hearing Loss

There is a resident in almost every care home in England who has quietly stopped joining in. They sit at the table at mealtimes but do not follow the conversation. They nod along in activities without quite catching what is being said. They have become, over months, a little more distant, a little more withdrawn, a little harder to reach. In many cases, the reason is hearing loss. And in most cases, nobody has done anything about it.

This is not because care staff do not care, it is because nobody has ever shown them what to do.

Most frontline workers have never been taught how to clean a hearing aid, change a battery, recognise when a resident needs a referral or adapt the way they communicate. The environments residents live in are rarely assessed for background noise or lighting. And the systems needed to support hearing loss consistently, day after day, simply do not exist in most homes.

At least nine in ten care home residents live with some degree of hearing loss, yet fewer than a quarter of those who would benefit from hearing aids actually use them, and shockingly, only half of residents with dementia receive any help with their hearing at all.

To combat this, Engage, the leading experts in deaf awareness training and development, and Care England, the largest and most diverse representative body for adult social care in England, have today launched a nationwide campaign calling for greater awareness and practical support around hearing loss in care homes, following new evidence of its growing impact on residents’ wellbeing, communication and quality of life.

The campaign follows the publication of Engage’s White Paper in 2025, developed in partnership with Care England and Nightingale Hammerson, which called for greater sector-wide recognition of hearing loss in care homes.

Despite 90% of care home residents being affected by some form of hearing loss, including age-related hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus; hearing loss remains overlooked within everyday care, despite growing evidence linking poor communication to isolation, distress, reduced independence and poorer wellbeing.

The campaign follows concerns raised by frontline care staff; many of whom say they have never received practical guidance on supporting residents with hearing loss or managing hearing technology.

One nurse with more than 20 years’ experience said:

“I don’t really know what to do with these hearing aids. How am I meant to clean them? What bits can I take apart? We don’t really ever get told any of these things.”

Another care worker shared:

“We’re just winging it and hoping what we’re doing is the best; not that any professional has told us what’s going to help that person.”

For residents, the impact can be profound. James*, a resident in his 80s at Nightingale House, relies on hearing aids to communicate and stay connected. When his aids were sent away for repair, a Hearing Loss Champion – a care worker trained by Engage in practical hearing loss support – provided a personal amplifier to keep him engaged with life in the home.

“When I put the headphones on, I could hear clearly again straight away. It made an enormous difference.” – James*

His daughter Lily* said the support prevented him from becoming isolated: “The training meant staff understood what he was going through and knew how to help him.”

Another resident, Alice*, became increasingly anxious and withdrawn after struggling to follow conversations in noisy communal environments. With the right support, the home carried out an environmental assessment and made practical changes including:

• Staff becoming more aware of noise when serving food
• Fitting pads to chair legs to reduce scraping noise
• Increasing light levels to help residents lipread and follow facial expressions

Her family described the difference: “Breakfast, lunch and dinner became times to dread for Alice. There was so much noise that she felt anxious and increasingly felt left out.” The changes transformed her daily experience.

Padraic Garrett, Head of Engage, said:

“Hearing loss is one of the most widespread and overlooked challenges affecting people living in care homes. It is often misunderstood as simply part of getting older, rather than something that directly affects communication, relationships, wellbeing and inclusion. Through this campaign, we want to work alongside providers to help build confidence, improve communication and ensure residents remain connected to the people and world around them.”

Andrew Goodwin, Service Manager for Engage, said:

“Frontline staff care deeply about the people they support. Often, small changes in communication, environment and awareness can make an enormous difference to a resident’s confidence and quality of life. This campaign is about collaboration, learning and ensuring hearing loss is recognised as an important part of everyday care.”

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said:

“Putting the right support in place for residents with hearing loss can be transformative for their overall health and wellbeing. Care England’s members want their homes to be places where every resident enjoys life to the full, and nobody should withdraw or become isolated because of an unaddressed hearing issue. This campaign drives rapid, practical improvements through a small number of everyday actions that any care team can embed into their practice. Get this right, and you improve communication, safety, wellbeing and quality of care for the people who need it most.”

The campaign will launch in August and build towards a major in-person event in London on 17 November 2026, bringing together national leaders from across the care sector. In the months leading up to the event, the campaign will offer a programme of practical resources, webinars, expert insight and supporting materials to help providers engage with the issues and take action within their organisations. The November event will bring this work together, creating an opportunity to share learning, hear from sector leaders and build momentum for the next phase of the campaign.