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FireFlyz | 53
Speak Up!
Fireflyz
speaks to
Kieran
McCarry
about one of
the problems that older
people face and listens
well to the advice that he
has to give.
H
earing
loss is one of
the five most preva-
lent health problems
of older people, but
it is the least treated.
Approximately six out
of every 10 individuals
over the age of 60 has a treatable hearing
impairment. Less than 30% of these
people seek any type of hearing assistance
and when they do many are told that
hearing loss is a natural consequence of
the aging process. Others simply tell no
one of their difficulties and are astounded
by the suggestion that people may already
know about their hearing loss.
Fear
Much of our hesitance has to do with soci-
ety’s feelings about the hearing impaired.
More than any other impairment, we fear
the process of hearing loss. How many
times do we refer to the effects of hearing
loss as “selective hearing?” This implies
the will to break off communication or
to ignore people with some intention of
hostility. As the saying goes, “There is
none so deaf as those who will not hear.”
And yet the effects of hearing impairment
INTERVIEW
condition. It is very possible to improve
hearing, if not medically, then through
the use of amplification.
All hearing aids should be fitted
professionally. Professional evaluation
depends on a knowledgeable professional
with appropriate experience and training.
Find out what training a professional
has before you commit to an evaluation.
Differences in testing and evaluation can
mean the difference in a useful fitting or
an annoying or impractical device.
Styles of Hearing Aids
There are a number of different styles
available ranging from almost invisible in
the canal devices to waterproof hearing
aids that you can actually wear while
swimming. Today’s modern technology
allows many aids to be fully automatic,
they can change when encountering
different environments or listening situ-
ations.
are real and involuntary.
As we fear aging, we tend to fear hear-
ing loss. The well meaning emphasis on
the natural process. The individual with
a hearing loss may find himself in the
process of social withdrawal commonly
associated with aging. Hearing loss is a
treatable disorder and requires appropri-
ate care and in most cases is a treatable
Kieran McCarry is a UK trained
Hearing Aid Audiologist, who has
spent more than 20 years in the
hearingaidbusiness.Hehasworked
in Malaysia for 12 years and is now
the Owner and Managing Director
ofClarisound. Hecanbe reachedat
kieran@clarisound.com.