“It is estimated that hearing loss affects one in six people in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and, with an ageing population, the number is set to soar.”
I recently attended an event in Westminster organised by the charity Action on Hearing Loss.
Action on Hearing Loss believes it is vital that people can easily obtain information and community-based support – such as the re-tubing, cleaning and maintenance of their NHS hearing aids – so they can manage their hearing loss in ways that doesn’t impact on their everyday lives.
People with hearing loss must be able to access support services which take in to account how hearing loss affects their lives – whether at work or conversations with friends and family – and meets their individual support needs.
I was pleased to discover Scotland led the UK in publishing national audiology standards and look forward to following Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s campaigning to ensure that NHS audiology departments deliver those standards and meet the expectations of local people who are hard of hearing. With most hearing loss being age-related, it’s particularly important that residents of care or nursing homes and sheltered housing are supported to continue living independently.
More information about Action on Hearing Loss locally can be found on the link below: