Lived experiences and illness perceptions of older adults with age-related hearing loss before the use of hearing aids: An interpretative phenomenological study

Age-related hearing loss is a chronic health condition. This qualitative study applied the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation to explore the lived experiences and illness perceptions of older adults with age-related hearing loss. Twenty older adults ≥ 65 years of age with hearing loss were recruited by purposive sampling. Data were collected with face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interpretive phenomenological analysis analyzed the interview data. Four overarching themes described the experience of hearing loss: 1) awareness, 2) impacts, 3) coping, and 4) appraisal. These highlight of how participants perceived and reacted to progressive hearing loss before adopting hearing aids. The impact of hearing loss was diverse and complex and included fatigue, stress, and interpersonal conflicts. Participants responded with changes in behaviors that were proactive or avoidant. Our findings may help clinicians understand how older adults perceive and manage age-related hearing loss, which could guide the development of effective individual and family-focused interventions.