An interesting article examining strategies that may increase the use of prescribed hearing aids. Those of you with hearing loss or those who have family members that use hearing aids may find it useful.
Here’s an excerpt:
WHY AREN’T YOU WEARING YOUR HEARING AIDS? Sorry for shouting; I know that’s not helpful, actually. I’m wearing mine, but then I can’t hear a thing without them, and if you can then it’s all more complicated. So far from straightforward, in fact, that up to 40% of adults with acquired hearing loss who are issued with hearing aids fail to use them, or don’t use them to best effect. Important? You bet.
Adult acquired hearing loss is common, long-term, increases with age and is mostly not something that can be helped by medicines or surgery. It’s potentially isolating and disabling; in fact the World Health Organization lists it as the second leading cause of ‘years lived with a disability’. So what helps people to wear their aids and get the best use out of them? The Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group has just published a new review which pulls together the best available evidence on interventions which aim to improve hearing aid use.
Before I looked at what the research said, I asked people on Twitter to tell me reasons why they don’t wear theirs and they came up with this selection.
To read more about hearing aids check out our information sheet.
