Changing patterns of hearing-aid use and level of support

Research on adjustment to hearing-aid use has in the past mostly focused on hours of use by patients and drawn its sample mainly from the retired population. Although this has given us a framework for developing a counselling service, it does not in itself give an indication of optimal levels of use nor of situations for use in the population who have to use hearing aids at work. This study collected data on hearing-aid use from a sample of people aged between 25 and 55 years who fell into four categories of recency of fitting of a hearing aid. As well as finding differences in the satisfaction with levels of support, there were differences in favour of greater use of the aid at work than at home. Strikingly, while embarrassment in use had declined over time, actual use of the aid was also reported as declining. Clearly, the adjustment process to hearing-aid use is determined by a whole series of personal and situational factors. It is these subjective factors which need to be considered when counselling services are being planned.