Age-related hearing loss is one of the most common sensory impairments among older people and is the fifth leading cause of disability in the world. Sensory capabilities such as hearing decline with age, beginning with adults in their 40s and increasing dramatically for those aged 80 years and older. Today, hearing loss affects approximately 164.5 million older people, accounting for 33% of the global population aged 65 years and older. 

Despite growing evidence demonstrating hearing loss is not an inevitable consequence of ageing, many older people live with undiagnosed changes that compromises their daily functioning.  By 2050, the world’s ageing population is expected to reach more than 2.1 billion, a projection that will significantly increase the incidence of those with hearing loss and therein their function.


When: Tuesday, 9 November 2021

Where:  Virtual
                   In-person at The Hilton Niagara Falls Hotel
Time:
9:00AM to 4:00PM
Registration fee:  In-person: $100 USD*
                                        Virtual: $70
*Delegates that register to attend the in-person conference will get a discount rate of  30% to attend the pre-conference event


About the Summit:

Building on the virtual Think Tank on Hearing in Later Life convened by IFA and the International Collegium on Rehabilitative Audiology (ICRA), the Hearing in Later Life Summit will act as an international platform specifically convened to stimulate policy discussions with key decision makers from government, industry, audiology, and civil society on the issue hearing loss among older adults. 

Working towards the overarching goal that all government and non-government led actions for healthy ageing include hearing care within their scope, this Summit will work within multi-disciplinary, facilitated taskforces to:

  • Determine an action plan to mobilize key messages from the World Report on Hearing to Member States, in the context of healthy ageing
  • Develop a factsheet to be promoted to healthcare providers to promote standards of care in diagnosis, referral, and treatment of hearing loss in older adults
  • Identify advocacy efforts that can be taken to increase knowledge among older adults to help tackle misconceptions and stigma that inhibit help-seeking
  • Compile existing evidence on the importance of hearing care to healthy ageing and the economy which can be used to persuade policymakers to invest in hearing care

The forthcoming WHO World Report on Hearing emphasizes that functional ability of older adults cannot be achieved unless the individual has good hearing, which is integral to communication, cognition, and overall health.  The World Report on Hearing further emphasizes that it is possible to have good hearing across the life-course through integrated, people-centered ear and hearing care. This aligns with the Decade of Healthy Ageing, which aims to maximize functional ability of older people through integrated care.

With the WHO World Report on Hearing launching on World Hearing Day (3 March 2021); the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030); and the expertise, momentum and connections built during the Think Tank on Hearing in Later Life; it is the opportune time to convene the Hearing in Later Life Summit, which will take place one day prior to the 15th Global Conference on Ageing, on 9 November 2021 in Niagara Falls, Canada.  

Register now

Join us today and help driving the change!


For information about the Conference, click here.