Hearing Aid Abandonment Fuelling Anxiety & Social Isolation

0:00New research from Hidden Hearing suggests many people are giving up and they're hearing aids within weeks have been fitted with more than half stopping within the first fortnight. The research also highlights the impact that hearing aid abandonment can have on confidence, anxiety and social isolation, while pointing to the importance of realistic expectations and better follow-up care. Joining us now to discuss the findings and more besides is Tim Pringle, chief audiologist with Hidden Hearing. Tim, how are you? Very well. Thank you very much for having me on board. Yeah. Thanks very much for joining us. I'm surprised to hear that more than half of people who abandon their hearing aids do so within the first two weeks, particularly because you need a hearing aid for an obvious reason. So, for them to give up on that and abandon it is a big decision to make. What is it about those first few weeks that are proving so difficult for them? I think just to clarify, yeah, 52% of the 38% of the people surveyed, so it was like 38% of those who said that they'd actually stopped are not wearing their hearing aids.

1:03Within the first two weeks, it's about rehabilitation and I suppose it can be a major change for people that have been gradually so used to not hearing to all of a sudden hearing everyday signs that are just louder and sharper than expected. Sometimes things like background noise can be overwhelming. Their own voice even sounds different because it's been amplified in a different way. And just being aware of the surroundings around, sometimes it can cause a little bit of mild discomfort for them if you like even irritation because it's something that they have to get used to. And it's that perseverance which is absolutely key in using the support that is actually invested there for you to ensure that you do get the benefit of it. You're quite right. People wait a long time even the family screaming out them, you need to get something done, the TV being uploaded or asking their T-doll at times. Sometimes it's the family notice the problem first.

2:06Not gradual time and not gradual deterioration. Suddenly hearing signs again can be quite overwhelming. It's a bit like for us if we consider being in a dark room and all of a sudden if we just open the curtains to bright light it can be a glare. But then our garage, our eyes adjusted and that's what rehabilitation and sticking with it is all about. And I guess people sticking with their hearing aids through those early teething problems period is beneficial for their friends and loved ones as you say the TV won't be blaring. But also for them because aside from helping them to hear about a research links abandoning hearing aids with things like anxiety, stress and social isolation which perhaps are issues that they don't consider when they do abandon them. Yes, it becomes a habitual thing. They just get into the habit and unfortunately yes they withdraw from company. They make excuses for not joining people socially and they become more and more insular.

3:07And because their world is reduced right in to maybe even just the room that they're in. So yes there's lots of stuff cited the way that it affects them physically and ecologically. And I think the most important thing is really to use support. The support of the family that's why we would always recommend there's a family member or a close friend or whatever with them at the time of even moving forward with hearing care. But really working with the audiologist and to establish hearing goals, being patient with obviously themselves as well because it doesn't happen overnight. It's got the brain has to process the science and that's what the journey and I've seen at many times with people who have had that isolation and withdrawal and that anxiety to all of a sudden flourishing, you know going from setting the flourishing and really just absolutely getting a better quality of life. Just finally Tim, in terms of people waiting years before addressing hearing loss, is it because there's still a stigma around wearing hearing aids?

4:09Certainly when I was growing up, I associated with older people. I think my my name's a from the Smiths was about the only person under the age of six year 70 who I could think of with a hearing aid and he was only using it as a prop. It is embarrassment still one of the biggest barriers despite modern hearing aids actually and a friend a friend of mine has one. They've become smaller and more discreet. Yes, they are smaller and more discreet and an actual fact, not ratio of people waiting sort of eight to ten years is vastly reduced because people are realizing there may be still a bit of stigma, you know nobody wants to wear a hearing aid in the true sense of a hearing aid, you know it's not word even but at the end of the day when they get to see the benefit of it on the discreetness and the hidden in the air and things like that, it's the quality of life that completely overwhelms it and people don't even notice it but people have to be educated enough. So the first call to action is obviously to have the hearing checked that's the most important thing if and died to could be something as simple even as a build up of walks for people

5:14then they're still looking at it as being scared or I need maybe need we're hearing it where an actual fact we can investigate that we can determine if there's anything under the health nature that's important as well to look out because there's lots going on with our ears and everything associated you know physically around here and no important thing yes is to have a test that actually determine whether you need the help or not and when it actually fades you know people actually are going to go my goodness don't even say it, don't even say it so that just glows out one eye to the water really. Okay we do have to leave there but Tim thank you very much for chatting to us about that Tim Pringle chief audiologist with hidden hearing joining us on morning focus.