The Pensioner Hearing AId Scheme

Overseas surveys directed to assessing the benefit, satisfaction and usage reported by persons with hearing aids are reviewed. A report is presented of a survey of pensioners living in Adelaide who had been fitted with hearing aids under the Commonwealth Government's Pensioner Hearing Aid Scheme. It was found that most pensioners were receiving benefit, were using the aid and were satisfied, but that three out of four required further assistance to enable them to use the aid most effectively. The reported benefit appeared to be related to type and severity of deafness, but not to predictions made before the aid was fitted. The findings are compared with those of other surveys and some implications are discussed.