Putting hearing on the ageing agenda

Soundfair CEO Dr Caitlin Barr was pleased to contribute an article on hearing for Australian Ageing Agenda. She writes:

Hearing loss is one of the most common long-term health conditions associated with ageing and a major contributor to the disease burden of older Australians. Yet age-related hearing conditions are often under-reported and their impact under-recognised.

There is low uptake of assistive devices by older adults with hearing loss, and little understanding of the need for services to support their use.

Anne, talking about her mother’s hearing aids: “They lived in the drawer. She didn’t feel comfortable going back to the provider for any adjustments, so she just put them away.”

Having trouble understanding conversations in noisy places is often a person’s first indication they have hearing loss.

As hearing loss progresses, communication difficulties are more likely even in quiet settings. There is a common misconception that hearing aids return hearing to normal and that nothing else is needed to support communication.

You can read the full piece here: https://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/contributors/putting-hearing-on-the-agenda/