It's been over a year since OTC hearing aids went on sale. So how come more people aren't buying them?

On October 17, 2022, the FDA permitted over the counter hearing aids to go on sale. These devices, with no need for a prescription, and as low as one-tenth the cost of prescription hearing aids, was supposed to put more hearing aids in the people who needed them.

But they haven't. Roughly two-thirds of adults are still struggling with hearing difficulties.

Even though there's research suggesting that untreated hearing loss increases the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. And even though hearing loss increases isolation, loneliness, depression, and falls.

There are several reasons for this:

Hearing loss is gradual. It sneaks up on you. Unlike vision loss, there are no obvious signs of it. That's why more than two-thirds of adults tested in a national survey with demonstrated hearing loss believed their hearing was fine.

Some everyday noises are subtle. People don't remember that they used to hear background noises like leaves rustling and birds singing.

They're not for everyone. They're for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, and have pre-set self-fitting procedures to test hearing and adjust their audio programs.

Doctors don't pay attention to hearing health. Rather then retesting routinely, they test only when a patient has a specific complaint.

Obviously, hearing acuity is only one of an infinite number of ways that no two people are alike. And when it comes to senior care, those differences should, well, make a difference. At Senior Insights, those differences come first.

Working case by case, person by person, has been our core value and our priority ever since we first opened our doors. We’ve always believed that caregiving has to go beyond physical needs and tasks, to address each client’s unique, individual emotional, cognitive, psychosocial and environmental needs as well. That’s why, before anything else, we conduct a thorough three-part needs assessment to determine what a specific client needs – cooking, housekeeping, bathing and dressing, shopping, etc. – and what they most enjoy doing in life. Then, as a holistic full-service senior care agency, we’ll provide caring, experienced, reliable people to provide the exact kind of care that fits those individual needs and desires If you’d like to learn what a difference our holistic approach can make, please click here to contact us.