Deaf Seniors in Aged Care: Are We Really Listening?

June Beutel’s story isn’t unique. An 87-year-old, deaf since birth, now living in a Brisbane nursing home with dementia and virtually no Auslan support. Consider the isolation. Her niece, Brita Murphy, describes June signing to herself, alone. Her complex needs, as Brita points out, are significant.

Brita’s two-year advocacy shines a light on critical gaps. She describes her feeling of being disheartened that in 2025 a deaf person in aged care cannot have access to Auslan support.
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Brett Casey, CEO of Deaf Connect, echoes this reality. He points out that few mainstream facilities possess an Auslan-proficient staff, although they are responsible for doing so. A widespread shortage exists, and training existing staff takes time, it’s a systemic issue.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing funds Deaf Connect’s National Sign Language Program (NSLP). Yet, crucially, the NSLP omits funding for aged care workers like social support staff. June, therefore, communicates only during family visits. It’s painful. “I’m on my own,” June signs, confused.

Brita juggles full-time work, four children, and caring for her deaf father, all while searching for Auslan support. Frustratingly, there is no funding or program that closes this communication chasm.
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Auslan isn’t even an option when applying for My Aged Care. This, Casey underlines, creates barriers right from the start. Deaf Connect can supplement care with Auslan-fluent workers but, significantly, that hinges on the nursing home identifying the need and footing the bill.

Brita filed a formal complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. An investigation led to two hours a fortnight of support, which quickly vanished. Back to square one. Heartbreaking isolation.

Ozcare’s chief executive, Michael Crutcher, assures that Ozcare gives as much help as possible, but Ms. Murphy worries if her aunt needed urgent help, there would be no way for staff to know. “She just has to basically tolerate what she’s feeling, there’s no ease for her,”

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission states that the new Aged Care Act grants people the right to communicate in their preferred language. Aged care providers must adhere to this. That’s the theory.

The latest census says over 16,000 Australians use Auslan at home. It’s unclear how many reside in aged care.

June isn’t eligible for NDIS, and aged care residents can’t access services via the Aged Care Assessment Team. This leaves many in limbo.

Professor Piers Dawes, Director of the Centre for Hearing Research at the University of Queensland, confirms the risk of people like June “falling through the cracks.” He notes hearing impairment gets overlooked as it’s not visibly apparent.

These cultural and communication needs are often disregarded, despite being fundamental. Dementia, the most common reason for needing aged care, complicates matters. Compound that with communication barriers and social isolation? A truly awful predicament.

There are some successes. Regis Aged Care Blackburn in Victoria dedicates a wing to Deaf residents, employing Deaf staff or those trained in Auslan. Professor Dawes wants to see more of these.

Deaf advocate Sherrie Beaver highlights another layer. The rubella epidemic in the 1960s resulted in many deaf births. She fears the aged care sector is wholly unprepared for this group entering care in the coming decades.

Social connection matters deeply. But what happens when cultural and linguistic needs go unmet? “There are so many heartbreaking stories of Deaf seniors being isolated in aged care, not having ample access to social opportunities,”

Having observed similar failures across healthcare, there are a few things worth highlighting.

Firstly, data drives decisions. The absence of specific figures on deaf individuals in aged care makes targeted resource allocation difficult. This isn’t merely about numbers; it’s about visibility.

Secondly, funding silos actively hinder holistic care. The NSLP focuses on language access, while aged care funding often overlooks specialized communication requirements. These divisions must be bridged.

Thirdly, compliance is not necessarily quality. The Aged Care Act’s “right to communicate” is meaningless without practical implementation. Audits must go beyond policy to assess genuine communication accessibility.

Finally, there’s a workforce gap. Training current aged care staff in Auslan is vital, but recruitment strategies must also target bilingual individuals, particularly from within the Deaf community.

These challenges aren’t insurmountable. Dedicated funding, data-driven planning, and genuine commitment to cultural sensitivity can bridge the gap. The alternative is a future where deaf seniors, like June Beutel, continue to live in isolated silence. We can, and must, do better than that.

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Keywords: deaf seniors aged care, Auslan support, dementia, aged care, deaf connect, national sign language program, aged care act, social isolation