The effects on significant others of providing a hearing aid to the hearing-impaired partner.

Communication is a shared experience which can be substantially affected by hearing impairment. Significant others may experience difficulties not only in direct communication but also in personal and social relationships. The present study was designed to investigate the impact on significant others of hearing loss in a partner and the benefits that accrued from the provision of personal amplification. The results suggested that before the provision of a hearing aid significant others experienced difficulties with person-to-person conversation, with group conversation and in viewing (listening to) television of the same order as did the hearing impaired individual. After appropriate intervention the difficulties were greatly reduced with resultant improvement in quality of life for both parties.