We are all taught to respect our elders growing up and often, it's not until we are adults ourselves that we fully appreciate the true value of the wisdom our parents, grandparents and more experienced people in society have to offer.
September 27th marks the beginning of Positive Ageing Week, which aims to celebrate ageing and the contribution and agency of older people in our communities. In line with this, new research from Hidden Hearing has revealed that 8 in 10 adults in Ireland believe they learn a lot from older generations.
The value of sage advice
At some point in our lives, we have all turned to someone we know for advice – be it personal, financial or otherwise – and good advice sticks. According to Hidden Hearing, 84% of survey respondents said that advice on family matters is what is most sought from older people, while personal relationships (62%) and happiness and personal fulfilment (73%) are viewed as the other key areas in which older people are well placed to offer advice.
And what's the best advice people have gotten? Well, 70% of those surveyed claim that being told 'your health is your wealth' has had the biggest impact on them. Other golden nuggets of advice cited included financial advice, like saving for a rainy day and to always trust your gut.
That being said, while 78% of those surveyed believe the best advice comes from those people with lots of life experience, people under 35 appear to be slightly more sceptical with 1 in 3 (32%) of the younger cohort surveyed claiming that older people are ‘out of touch’ and can’t give good advice as a result.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, parents are cited as the main source of good advice across the board, while 6 in 10 would also trust an older friend or family member most.
Hearing loss awareness
The fact that older people have so much to offer is celebrated in Positive Ageing Week, and the Hidden Hearing survey was designed to acknowledge that. Speaking about the research, Dolores Madden, Audiologist and Marketing Director at Hidden Hearing, said:
“Conversation, engaging with people, listening and learning are all core life experiences that rely on the ability to hear clearly. We lose out on a lot, if we don’t make a point of looking after our hearing.”
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us all the importance of family, friends, advice and keeping in touch. However, this recent survey also found that 12% of people noticed a deterioration in their hearing throughout the pandemic, which was often highlighted by the wearing of face masks.
Often, without knowing, people had been relying on lip-reading to help with poor hearing and missing out on everyday sounds. Hearing loss can be isolating or even frightening to not be part of the conversation, or to enjoy the sounds of everyday life.
When questioned on the sounds they would miss the most if they lost their hearing, 64% said friends and family, followed closely by music (58%). Other sounds people would miss include children's voices and laughter and conversations with spouses or significant others. Do you think your hearing has worsened over the past 18 months?
To encourage everyone who thinks they may be experiencing hearing loss to seek treatment, Hidden Hearing clinics countrywide will be offering a 15% discount* on hearing aids, for a limited time only, for those booking appointments during Positive Ageing Week from Monday, September 27th. Click here to find out more.
