Hearing Loss is Impacting Boomers at Work and Home

Recently Clarity and The EAR Foundation released the results of a new Baby Boomer Hearing Loss Study. The study confirmed the results of our 2004 study which found that 1 in 2 Baby Boomers experience a hearing loss. Furthermore, the new study found that hearing loss is significantly impacting the lives of Boomers at home and in the office.

“Hearing loss is a silent health issue, often overlooked and left unresolved,” said Suzanne Wyatt, executive director of The EAR Foundation, a national nonprofit devoted to hearing loss education and prevention. “This survey illustrates how hearing loss is compromising the quality of life for millions across the country, as well as impacting their performance and productivity on the job. Individuals, businesses and the government must become more attuned to the seriousness of hearing loss in our society and the steps they can take to help improve the situation.”

Some of the study’s key findings include:

• Almost one-fourth (23%) of these individuals said their hearing loss is affecting their success in the workplace, while 25% said hearing loss is affecting their earning potential. The areas of their work that are most affected are hearing and understanding phone calls and conversations with co-workers.
• 40% of the individuals who reported having a hearing loss said that it has affected their home life in many ways, such as having conversations with loved ones. 65% said they have trouble hearing the television. Watching TV with others and social gatherings are the areas that Boomers with hearing loss avoid most.
• More than half (57%) of those with a hearing loss said they often have difficulty hearing on a cell phone.

Source: Clarity Products