There ARE Alternatives to hearing aids ?

Basically, avoid noisy areas, go somewhere quiet,  and lip-read (Why didn't I think of that)....   A new online program has been launched for people with acquired hearing loss as a possible alternative to using hearing aids.  The free program was developed at the School of Sociology in the Australian National University’s College of Arts and Social Sciences in Canberra.
Dr Anthony Hogan from the School created the Easier Listening program in association with Hearservice, a division of the Victorian Deaf Society. “Easier Listening is a way of helping people manage their hearing problems by providing them with easy lifestyle alternatives,” Dr Hogan said.  “Everyone thinks that hearing loss equals hearing aids, but it doesn’t have to.  “If you had high cholesterol, before you started taking medication, you’d start doing some behavioural and lifestyle changes. “Why should hearing loss be any different?” he asked.  After logging on to the Easier Listening website, people work through a number of problem-based exercises aimed at teaching basic strategies to implement in everyday life. “We want to get people more aware of how hearing loss affects them on a day-to-day basis and then give them some really practical strategies on how they might manage those everyday problems,” Dr Hogan said.
Big enemies with hearing loss, according to Dr Hogan, are things like background noise.  He suggested that when going to cafes and restaurants for example, people could choose places that were quieter, such as those with carpet or soft furnishings. “Also, when you’re sitting somewhere, don’t be looking at the light,” he said.  “You probably don’t think you can lip-read, but you’d be surprised how much you can pick up when you can actually see people’s faces.”
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