Designing for the Life Span Segment 3
Designing for the Life Span Segment 3 
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[D]
The high frequencies of sound are lost when an aging individual endures presbycusis. It becomes harder to isolate the sounds of conversation from background noise.
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Older adults go everywhere and do almost everything anyone younger might go and do. Regardless, large assemblies often alter behaviors of older people. They will seek out those locations in public places where the sounds are dampened or reduced.
Churches generally do not pose the problem for hearing experienced in noisy restaurants. Centuries ago, a cleric presiding over a service would be faced with the daunting challenge of being heard in voluminous cathedrals. Much of the Catholic Mass was sung by a priest in a level monotone in the "C" register. His voice was raised above conversational level and yet within the hearing range of every human ear. Similar practices exist in all religions - including the Moslem call to prayer. That practice, deemed spiritual in value, still is part of many religious practices regardless of the advent of technology.
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