Striving for genuine connections: men's experiences of living with hearing impairment

Abstract

Hearing impairment affects 16–17% of the Swedish and Danish population, where 6–8% is affected during their working life. This study aims at describing what a hearing impairment means in men's daily life. Qualitative interviews were performed on two occasions with nine men aged 35–53 years with an acquired, moderate hearing impairment and who had taken part in rehabilitation and tried out hearing aids. Colaizzi's phenomenological method was used for the analysis. Living with limited hearing emerged as ‘A never-ending striving for genuine connections…’: ‘…to other people and the surrounding world’; ‘…to find personal strategies and technical aids’; and ‘…to transform one's personality and identity’. Men in mid-life experienced hearing impairment as a continuous process which included all aspects of daily life. In order to find balance in a changed life situation and avoid ill-health, support with different aims is needed.

Keywords:

• hearing impairment
• middle-aged men
• lived experiences
• everyday life

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the informants who shared their time and experiences with us. The study was carried out with support from the local County Council for Habilitation and Technology Services, Uppsala, Sweden and Gjøvik University College, Department of Nursing, Norway.