How Hearing Aids Can Reduce Fall Risk—Today

Falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults in the United States, with 36 million incidents reported annually. The consequences are severe: over 3 million hospitalizations and 32,000 deaths each year, according to Clinics in Geriatric Medicine. At Starkey, we’ve asked ourselves a critical question: What if hearing aids could help prevent these falls?

The answer is becoming a reality through years of research, development, and innovation. As a senior research audiologist at Starkey, I’ve had the privilege to work on some of the most cutting-edge features in hearing aid technology, including fall detection and the newly released balance assessment feature—both firsts in the hearing industry. These tools are more than technological milestones; they are potentially life-saving innovations that reflect the deep link between hearing and vestibular health and overall physical well-being.

The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Falls

Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that for every 10 decibels of hearing loss, the risk of falling increases by 40%. Even a mild hearing loss can triple an individual’s risk of falling compared to someone without hearing loss. Hearing loss doesn’t just reduce our ability to perceive sound; it increases cognitive load, impairs situational awareness, and often leads to social withdrawal. All of these factors can contribute to physical frailty and instability.

Recognizing this connection, Starkey has been laser-focused on translating scientific insights into practical solutions. Our fall detection feature, for instance, was built training AI to recognize not only what a fall looks like, but just as importantly, what it doesn't.

Developing the Technology: From Ground Zero to Real-World Testing

The process of developing and validating our fall alert feature was far from theoretical. I quite literally spent significant time on the ground. Using motion sensors embedded in hearing aids, we simulated real-world falls, informed by actual video footage from senior living facilities. These simulations helped train our AI to distinguish between actual falls and other activities like exercise, bending down, or sitting abruptly.

But we didn’t stop in the lab. We embedded early versions of the detection algorithm in research hearing aids and asked real patients to wear them in their daily lives. They kept detailed diaries of every fall detection event (including false positives), allowing us to fine-tune the system’s accuracy using real-world data. With subsequent iterations, we added a layer of machine learning decision making to further improve precision and reduce false alarms.

Introducing Balance Assessment & Balance Builder in a Hearing Aid

Starkey is proud to be the first and only hearing aid manufacturer to offer an integrated balance assessment tool. This new feature builds on data collected over seven years of patient testing and is modeled after the CDC’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative. It combines 12 screening questions with functional gait, strength, and balance tests—which are now accessible right from the hearing aid. While this tool doesn’t replace in-person evaluations by physicians or therapists, it serves as an important first step to increase awareness that may help identify modifiable risk factors before a fall occurs.

A New Era in Hearing Healthcare: More to Come

The future of fall alerts and training in hearing aids is just getting started. We envision someday offering smart alerts for daily living—perhaps reminding users to grab their walker or warning them when changes in blood pressure could lead to dizziness upon standing.

Hearing aids have come a long way from simply amplifying sound. Today, they are personal health hubs that support safety, independence, healthy aging, and quality of life for aging adults. With fall detection, balance assessment, and balance exercise guidance now in place, and more innovations on the horizon, we're proud that Starkey is leading the charge in redefining what hearing healthcare can achieve.