Sadly, "Later in life" seems to be about 25, from how far gone some of the people I worked with's hearing is/was. I don't know how many times I've picked up a phone and the volume was set to "10", and been blasted. I run that same phone at 2 or 3, and I'm old, like Social Security old. When they get as old as I am now, it's not going to be good. "Wait..wait, say that again, I'm having problems with my hearing aids again!" (Something my mom's first husband said almost every time she spoke with him after he hit 80). My mom got pretty deaf too, but not that bad.