B.C. researchers say hearing loss contributes to seniors' isolation, loneliness

Several years ago, researchers at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus launched a pilot program to get seniors walking and exercising in groups.

The goal was to help them avoid loneliness and social isolation.

Butprofessor Charlotte Jones and her co-researchers discoveredmany seniors weren't getting the expected benefits for a surprising reason.

Fitness wasn't the main issue. It was hearing.

"It turned out that these people had hearing loss, and that set me on a whole new area of research," Jones told Radio West host Sarah Penton.

"You can just imagine not being able to catch the punchline on a joke or not hearing everything said and responding inappropriately.

"People start to shy away from social interactions and social events and eventually become isolated and lonely."

Jones says that isolation and loneliness puts seniors at higher risk of dementia, depression and decreased fitness including more falls and hospital visits.

In research published in the journal Aging and Mental Health, Jones and her colleagues argue that while community exercise programs can be excellent tools for improving health and social well-being of seniors, they need to be designed to meet the needs of all participants and hearing loss can be a major obstacle.

'Gain back your life'

Jones says the findings on hearing loss led to major changes at the pilot program, called Walk and Talk for your Life, which involved 300 low-income seniors.

Seniors with hearing challenges were put in smaller groups and exercised in acoustically improved rooms.

They also got help for their hearing problems through education, and hearing aids, and counselling to better interact.

"When we included all that information the participants with hearing loss did beautifully," Jones said.

"Their loneliness and isolation levels decreased dramatically as their physical fitness improved dramatically."

Jones says anyone who struggles to hear should seek help and if someone you care about struggles to hear, getting them to see an audiologist could be a great help to them.

"Get something done and gain back your life," she advised.

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With files from CBC Radio One's Radio West