Benefit of using an assistive listening device in a hospital setting

High levels of noise in hospital settings can make communication difficult, especially for older adults. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are personal amplifiers that can improve hearing in background noise. This study investigated the impact of providing ALDs to hospitalized patients 60 years of age and older without using hearing screenings to determine eligibility. Results indicated that 96% of the patients reported that ALD was easy to use and 88% found it helpful. The ALD was used to communicate with family, hospital staff, and physicians. This suggests ALDs can be distributed to patients 60 years and older without any hearing screenings.