Positive experiences reported by significant others of patients with hearing impairments

Abstract

While patients with hearing difficulties were being tested in the audiological rehabilitation clinic, their partners were asked to complete an open‐ended questionnaire asking them to list any positive experiences which they, the partners, had as a result of the patient's hearing loss. Responses were obtained from 102 individuals of whom 46 listed one or more positive experiences, with a total of 76 responses. Children or grandchildren were more likely to report positive experiences than spouses or partners. The most common responses were “Development of patience and tolerance” (15), “Understanding and awareness of hearing problems” (13), “Improved communication skills” (12) and “Able to do things without the hearing impaired person hearing” (10).

• positive experiences
• significant others
• hearing loss