In my opinion, the mild to moderate hearing impaired man's
difficulty in adverse listening situations should be addressed,
even though it may not be top priority. It doesn't take long
to give a few suggestions (e.g. face the person who is talking,
ask for repetition of only the portion of the utterance not
heard, ask for a synonym, request that the talker articulate
more clearly) and maybe refer him to an appropriate support
group (SHHH) or refer to a rehab audiology program if he is
motivated and willing to pay for it. If his concerns are not
addressed, what motivation does he have to come back in a
year for re-eval?
I also do not think that the lack of reimbursement should
cause us to give up on rehab for hearing impaired adults.
Should we abandon universal infant hearing screening due to
lack of funds? Although adult rehab may be less of a
priority, it is not irrelevant and should not be ignored,
particularly when difficulty hearing in noise/groups is
what brings many people in to see audiologists in the first
place.
