Aging Trend (globally and in Canada):
According to the World Health Organization (2011), the world’s population is aging. The number of people aged 65 years or older is projected to increase from 8% in 2010 to 16% by the year 2050 (WHO, 2011). This change is driven by declines in fertility, improvements in longevity, and a shift in the leading causes of disease and death (WHO, 2011, p. 4). Much of this increase in the older adult population is expected to occur in developing countries, however, an aging trend can also be seen in Canada (WHO, 2008; Taylor, 2014). The percentage of Canadian seniors is expected to rise from 15.3% in 2013 to 25% by the year 2056 (Taylor, 2014). What is more, people aged 85 or older make up the fastest growing …show more content…
Hearing aids improve mood and quality of life in older adults, increasing their sense of general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional stability, and mental health (Boi et al., 2012). Hearing aids also improve health-related quality of life by “[reducing] the psychosocial, social, and emotional effects of sensorineural hearing loss” (Chisholm et al., 2007). They also increase a patient’s sense of confidence and independence, and positively impact his/her outlook on life and relationships with family (National Council on Aging, …show more content…
According to the WHO (2006), one in five people who would benefit from hearing aids actually use them. In the United States, only 20% of seniors with hearing loss seek treatment, and often wait 10 or more years, or until the condition has become severe before seeking hearing aids (Donahue, Dubno, and Beck, 2010). The literature points to two main reasons for this lack of hearing aid use: access to services, and satisfaction with hearing aids. Hogan et al. (2011) suggests that stigmatized social identity leads people to deny their hearing loss, and inhibits them from accessing the services they need, “even if this denial poses disadvantages for their well-being” (p. 13). External factors also affect an individual's ability to access services, including: shortage of speech and hearing professionals, lack of outreach and immediate or extended support services, geographic and natural barriers, lack of government support and reimbursement for services (Swanoepel et al., 2010; Tye-Murray, 2015). Dissatisfaction with hearing aids is another main reason for people’s lack of use. According to Kochkin (2005), only 40-60% of hearing aid owners feel that they provide adequate benefit and use them on a regular basis. Many hearing aid owners reject their devices after a brief trial period of a few days or a week, and then tuck them away in a drawer or return them to the
According to the World Health Organization (2011), the world’s population is aging. The number of people aged 65 years or older is projected to increase from 8% in 2010 to 16% by the year 2050 (WHO, 2011). This change is driven by declines in fertility, improvements in longevity, and a shift in the leading causes of disease and death (WHO, 2011, p. 4). Much of this increase in the older adult population is expected to occur in developing countries, however, an aging trend can also be seen in Canada (WHO, 2008; Taylor, 2014). The percentage of Canadian seniors is expected to rise from 15.3% in 2013 to 25% by the year 2056 (Taylor, 2014). What is more, people aged 85 or older make up the fastest growing …show more content…
Hearing aids improve mood and quality of life in older adults, increasing their sense of general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional stability, and mental health (Boi et al., 2012). Hearing aids also improve health-related quality of life by “[reducing] the psychosocial, social, and emotional effects of sensorineural hearing loss” (Chisholm et al., 2007). They also increase a patient’s sense of confidence and independence, and positively impact his/her outlook on life and relationships with family (National Council on Aging, …show more content…
According to the WHO (2006), one in five people who would benefit from hearing aids actually use them. In the United States, only 20% of seniors with hearing loss seek treatment, and often wait 10 or more years, or until the condition has become severe before seeking hearing aids (Donahue, Dubno, and Beck, 2010). The literature points to two main reasons for this lack of hearing aid use: access to services, and satisfaction with hearing aids. Hogan et al. (2011) suggests that stigmatized social identity leads people to deny their hearing loss, and inhibits them from accessing the services they need, “even if this denial poses disadvantages for their well-being” (p. 13). External factors also affect an individual's ability to access services, including: shortage of speech and hearing professionals, lack of outreach and immediate or extended support services, geographic and natural barriers, lack of government support and reimbursement for services (Swanoepel et al., 2010; Tye-Murray, 2015). Dissatisfaction with hearing aids is another main reason for people’s lack of use. According to Kochkin (2005), only 40-60% of hearing aid owners feel that they provide adequate benefit and use them on a regular basis. Many hearing aid owners reject their devices after a brief trial period of a few days or a week, and then tuck them away in a drawer or return them to the