Overview
- Spain’s ENT society (SEORL-CCC) says only 11 autonomous communities finance hearing aids for older adults under uneven and sometimes restrictive rules, urging uniform inclusion in the National Health System benefits package.
- Doctors call for systematic hearing screening in older age groups but emphasize that testing only has value when followed by real, equitable access to devices.
- Presbycusis is described as an under-treated public-health problem that impairs communication and drives isolation and depression, with the society citing up to 9% of untreated older adults developing some form of dementia.
- Adoption of hearing aids is limited by stigma, discomfort and lack of awareness, and cochlear implants are available when hearing aids do not provide sufficient benefit.
- With World Hearing Day on March 3, clinicians highlight a large global burden and noise-related risks, including a specialist’s estimate of 1.5 billion people affected and a claim that hearing aids help most cases.