I am trying to understand why people who suspect they may be having some difficulty hearing wait on average 5 to 7 years to have an audiologic assessment. Do you have any ideas why?
While I don’t have any relevant data, my suspicion is that this is consistent with the denial of aging. The psychological defense of denial is used in many contexts. It is perhaps most commonly associated to alcoholism. In my clinical experience I find no use of a denial more common then in the denial of aging. The changes of aging scare us. They give us a fearful glimpse of the future. Thus, it can contribute to an avoidance of taking useful actions to improve our health.
Similar to the answer provided by Hilda, it usually comes down to human nature. Be it a nagging injury, other health issues, that junk sitting in the corner of your basement or that extra 10 lbs you want to loose. Unless it drastically affects you in one way or another, putting things off is so easy to do and usually followed by......"I'll get to that next week". Now this may not apply to everyone but I would say that majority of us work this way. Risk, reward, pleasure, pain.....the less it affects our regular activities of daily living, the smaller the priority and therefore the smaller the immediate action.
I’d imagine the reason may differ for each person. However, it could be due to having a hard time accepting that their body is changing. They may push it to the side because of the feelings that come up when dealing with the issue.
It would be important to assess what it means to the person to possibly need an audiologic assessment-what it means to them or about them.
It may also be a self care issue. Where they are not actively taking initiative to care for themselves. This may be a pattern in other areas as well.
It is frustrating when people take a long time to make a decision that can only benefit them and improve their lifestyle. May I suggest that we not ask "why", but use the strengths and determination it took the client to finally make that decision to help him/her adjust to their improved wellness. Affirm the courage it takes to make a change and maybe they will adhere to whatever it takes to follow through with the results from their assessment. I do appreciate your question. Human behavior can be a mystery.
I know I have hearing loss, but the cost of the testing and the hearing aids themselves is prohibitive for me. I have a high deductible insurance so I can’t use that for coverage.
When asked, everyone's reason is different. One of the greatest obstacles in the medical system itself and it's lack of believed importance on hearing. Many insurance require a referral to an audiologist such as myself (especially if it is Medicare based) and referring physicians feel their hearing screening in office is sufficient to identify a problem (which it is not). There is also a fear factor that a problem may be identified and they will be faced with treatment decisions they cannot manage financially. Many also associate an audiologic assessment with the hearing screenings completed in Costco and even physicians do not understand. A true audiologic assessment, such as what we do at our clinic is a medical test providing information of the audiologic system to include but not limited to the external, middle and inner ear, auditory nerve and lower brainstem. We also offer cognitive testing of auditory function. The end goal is education of the patient to understand the nature of the problem and treatment options. As I joke with my patients, we don't do this for posterity. Finally, hearing loss is insidious. Most hearing loss occur gradually, allowing a person to adapt to the stimulus, much like slowly dimming the lights and thus they are often the last person aware that they are not hearing well.
1) The hearing loss is gradual onset and the person doesn’t quite realize it is happening until it gets more severe.
2) There is denial going on, often a common reaction to something unexpected, unplanned, unappreciated. Kind of like the freeze reaction, freezing and not taking action, or like the flight reaction, running away from the issue and not dealing with it.
3) Hopelessness. A worry that nothing can be done anyway so why face an exam, etc.
4) It is actually difficult to get an ethical and reputable exam, at least in my experience with clients. so sometimes the person does go and gets hearing aids that don’t work and so they don’t follow up and instead give up.
5) The stigma, still, unbelievably so, in our society of any challenge-whether it be hearing loss, a physical challenge, a learning challenge, a mental health challenge.
Hope this answers the question or at least helps a bit. Always happy to help if I can, Andrea
It’s like getting a new eye glass prescription, you suddenly see things clearer, but before the new prescription you did’t notice the gradual vision loss. Before I got hearing aids I also wondered why others resisted getting their hearing checked, or knew they needed hearing aids and resisted buying them, but when I purchased mine I got the answer. The cost! Paying 2,500 to 3,500 per ear with insurance companies covering only about 30% of the cost, it is no wonder people go without them. The costs should be less and the coverage should be more. If buying hearing aids was like buying new glasses more would have them.
Answers (1-10)
While I don’t have any relevant data, my suspicion is that this is consistent with the denial of aging. The psychological defense of denial is used in many contexts. It is perhaps most commonly associated to alcoholism. In my clinical experience I find no use of a denial more common then in the denial of aging. The changes of aging scare us. They give us a fearful glimpse of the future. Thus, it can contribute to an avoidance of taking useful actions to improve our health.
Similar to the answer provided by Hilda, it usually comes down to human nature. Be it a nagging injury, other health issues, that junk sitting in the corner of your basement or that extra 10 lbs you want to loose. Unless it drastically affects you in one way or another, putting things off is so easy to do and usually followed by......"I'll get to that next week". Now this may not apply to everyone but I would say that majority of us work this way. Risk, reward, pleasure, pain.....the less it affects our regular activities of daily living, the smaller the priority and therefore the smaller the immediate action.
I’d imagine the reason may differ for each person. However, it could be due to having a hard time accepting that their body is changing. They may push it to the side because of the feelings that come up when dealing with the issue.
It would be important to assess what it means to the person to possibly need an audiologic assessment-what it means to them or about them.
It may also be a self care issue. Where they are not actively taking initiative to care for themselves. This may be a pattern in other areas as well.
Dear Jo M,
It is frustrating when people take a long time to make a decision that can only benefit them and improve their lifestyle. May I suggest that we not ask "why", but use the strengths and determination it took the client to finally make that decision to help him/her adjust to their improved wellness. Affirm the courage it takes to make a change and maybe they will adhere to whatever it takes to follow through with the results from their assessment. I do appreciate your question. Human behavior can be a mystery.
I know I have hearing loss, but the cost of the testing and the hearing aids themselves is prohibitive for me. I have a high deductible insurance so I can’t use that for coverage.
When asked, everyone's reason is different. One of the greatest obstacles in the medical system itself and it's lack of believed importance on hearing. Many insurance require a referral to an audiologist such as myself (especially if it is Medicare based) and referring physicians feel their hearing screening in office is sufficient to identify a problem (which it is not). There is also a fear factor that a problem may be identified and they will be faced with treatment decisions they cannot manage financially. Many also associate an audiologic assessment with the hearing screenings completed in Costco and even physicians do not understand. A true audiologic assessment, such as what we do at our clinic is a medical test providing information of the audiologic system to include but not limited to the external, middle and inner ear, auditory nerve and lower brainstem. We also offer cognitive testing of auditory function. The end goal is education of the patient to understand the nature of the problem and treatment options. As I joke with my patients, we don't do this for posterity. Finally, hearing loss is insidious. Most hearing loss occur gradually, allowing a person to adapt to the stimulus, much like slowly dimming the lights and thus they are often the last person aware that they are not hearing well.
I am happy to share my sense about this issue:
I think it’s probably a few possibilities-
1) The hearing loss is gradual onset and the person doesn’t quite realize it is happening until it gets more severe.
2) There is denial going on, often a common reaction to something unexpected, unplanned, unappreciated. Kind of like the freeze reaction, freezing and not taking action, or like the flight reaction, running away from the issue and not dealing with it.
3) Hopelessness. A worry that nothing can be done anyway so why face an exam, etc.
4) It is actually difficult to get an ethical and reputable exam, at least in my experience with clients. so sometimes the person does go and gets hearing aids that don’t work and so they don’t follow up and instead give up.
5) The stigma, still, unbelievably so, in our society of any challenge-whether it be hearing loss, a physical challenge, a learning challenge, a mental health challenge.
Hope this answers the question or at least helps a bit. Always happy to help if I can, Andrea
Denial or embarrassment.
It’s like getting a new eye glass prescription, you suddenly see things clearer, but before the new prescription you did’t notice the gradual vision loss. Before I got hearing aids I also wondered why others resisted getting their hearing checked, or knew they needed hearing aids and resisted buying them, but when I purchased mine I got the answer. The cost! Paying 2,500 to 3,500 per ear with insurance companies covering only about 30% of the cost, it is no wonder people go without them. The costs should be less and the coverage should be more. If buying hearing aids was like buying new glasses more would have them.
sorry I don't work in that field. I am a reiki master and spiritual seeker. Not audiologist.