The researchers surveyed 2,000 hearing aid users from across the United States and found that 8 out of 10 hearing aid users are satisfied with the changes that have occurred in their lives specifically due to their hearing aids. In addition, 82% of participants say that they would recommend hearing aids to their friends.
“This survey clearly reveals how dramatically people’s lives can improve with the use of hearing aids,” said Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s executive director and frequent contributor to The Hearing Review.
The improvements that participants saw in their quality of life as a result of their use of hearing aids were broad and varied. Among the findings:
■Nearly 70% of hearing aid users said their ability to communicate effectively in most situations improved because of their hearing aid;
■A little more than half said their hearing aids improved their relationships at home, their social life, and their ability to join in groups;
■Roughly 40% noted improvements in their sense of safety, self-confidence, feelings about self, sense of independence, and work relationships;
■Between 25% and 33% of hearing aid users said they even saw improvements in their romance, sense of humor, cognitive skills, and mental, emotional, and physical health;
■91% of all hearing aid users surveyed are satisfied with the ability of their hearing aids to improve communication in one-on-one situations; and
■85% of hearing aid users are satisfied their hearing aids improve communications in small groups; 80% while watching television; 78% while outdoors; 78% during leisure activities; 77% while shopping; and 77% while riding in a car.
Kochkin commented that outdated notions about hearing aids pose a significant barrier that inhibits people from addressing their hearing loss. He also said that public perception of hearing aids hasn’t kept pace with the new technologies and discreet designs of today’s modern devices. Furthermore, the misperceptions are holding people back from improving their quality of life by addressing their hearing loss.
Indeed, the BHI study reveals that 79% of people who do seek help and use hearing aids are satisfied with them, and 86% are satisfied with the benefit they derive from hearing aid usage.
“Today’s hearing aids are about staying young, not growing old,” Kochkin explained in the press statement. “People want to hold onto their vitality as they enter and move through middle-age. But when someone ignores a hearing loss—which oftentimes has progressed gradually over time as a result of repeated noise exposure—that individual unwittingly begins losing the very vitality they treasure. What this research shows, however, is that those who do face their hearing loss and use hearing aids are experiencing significant and satisfying improvements in their quality of life.”
For more details, see the entire news release on BHI’s Web site.
