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  January 28, 2016

Action on Hearing Loss wrote a report in 2015 called ‘Hearing Matters’. I am sharing the key recommendations of this report on my blog because I believe it is very important that we all promote the needs of the hard of hearing and people with tinnitus.

Report Recommendations:

1. Don’t cut hearing aids
   Hearing aids are a lifeline for many people. They help people communicate with friends and family, work colleagues and health and social care professionals and help people stay socially active and reduce the risk of depression and dementia.
   • All people who could benefit from hearing aids must continue to receive them free of charge on the NHS.
2. Introduce hearing checks for everyone as they get older
   As the population ages, the number of older people with hearing loss is set to grow in the years to come. The earlier people seek help for their hearing loss the better, but wait on average 10 years before they go to their GP.
   • The Government should introduce a hearing screening programme for all adults over the age of 65 across the UK.
3. Invest in treatments and cures
   Our understanding of the causes of hearing loss and tinnitus is improving all the time. With further investment, we believe drug treatments could be available by 2020 and we can find cures within a generation. Yet hearing research is the only area of medical research where public and charitable funding has declined over the last ten years.
   • Funding for research into hearing loss and tinnitus must be increased to meet the growing level of need.
4. Improve communication with GPs, hospitals and care homes
   People with hearing loss often struggle to access health and social care. When visiting the GP more than a quarter didn’t understand their diagnosis and over two thirds of people who asked for British Sign Language interpreter didn’t get one.
   • The Accessible Information Standard must be properly implemented and enforced to make sure the NHS and social care services are accessible for people with hearing loss.
5. Better support at work
   People with hearing loss are less likely to be employed compared to those with no long-term health issue or disability. 70% of people felt their hearing loss limited their potential at work and eight out of 10 identified employer attitudes as a major barrier to employment.
   • People with hearing loss must have access to specialist support in the workplace and when looking for work to help them find and keep a job.

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