In a recent study titled “Hearing is Living,” conducted by Phonak’s Hear the World initiative, discussed in Healthy Hearing, it was found that people with hearing loss enjoy a better relationship with their family and friends, taking more pleasure in communal activities as a result of wearing a hearing instrument. The study questioned more than 4,300 people in Germany, France, Switzerland, Great Britain, and the United States to obtain their data.
The key findings of the study include:
- 73% of the people with hearing loss who were surveyed report their relationship with their family improved since they started wearing a hearing aid.
- 78% claim that their hearing aids have a positive effect on their relationship with friends and make communal activities more enjoyable again.
- 41% of the hearing instrument users surveyed who suffer from moderate to severe hearing loss indicated that they have a large circle of friends.
- By contrast, only 27% of the people who have the same degree of hearing loss, but do not wear a hearing instrument, agreed that they have a large circle of friends.
In addition the researchers found that family members also benefited from realatives’ use of hearing instruments:
- 41% of the relatives surveyed stated that their own lives have improved when their family member got a hearing aid.
- 62% of the hearing aid users surveyed report that since they started wearing a hearing aid, their hearing loss is no longer an issue among their family and friends.
- 86% feel that their friends accept them just as they are.
A great study showing the power of hearing, and the importance in optimizing the hearing that we have.