This is the third in a series of studies since 2003 commissioned by a partnership of Clarity and The EAR Foundation to better understand the health and lifestyle needs of America’s aging population. For “Aging in Place in America,” two groups were surveyed to allow a comparative analysis of the attitudes of Seniors age 65 and older who are living at home with those of Baby Boomers who have Senior parents.

One of the most significant findings of the study is that, when asked what they fear most, Seniors rated loss of independence (26%) and moving out of home into a nursing home (13%) as their greatest fears. These two possibilities are a much higher concern than death, which was the greatest fear for only three percent of Seniors.

Other key findings include:

• Vast majority of Seniors (89%) want to age in place – or grow older without having to move from their homes -- and more than half (53%) are concerned about their ability to do so.
  
  
• Large majority (82%) of Baby Boomers fear their parents will be mistreated in a nursing home and 89% fear they will be sad.
  
  
• Seniors living at home are determined to maintain their independence; they report that they require – and receive – limited support from their children or other caregivers.
  
  
• Not only are Boomers concerned about their aging parents, almost two-thirds (63%) are providing some kind of help or support to them.
  
  
• Half of Seniors are open to using new technologies to enable independence, including having sensors installed in their homes to monitor their health.
  
  
• Baby Boomers have not turned to technology to assist their aging parents. Only 14% have actually looked for solutions that would help them ensure the health and safety of their parents.

“These findings tell us that, above all else, older Americans value their ability to live independently,” said Peter Bell, president of National Aging in Place Council. “As a society, we must find ways to help our parents and grandparents live their latter years at home. We must make aging in place a national priority and a reality for older Americans.”

Clarity president Carsten Trads said, “Clarity and The EAR Foundation commissioned this study because we are committed to finding ways to enhance the quality of life for our aging population. These findings are both concerning and eye-opening. Independent living is a key determinant of quality of life for seniors, and we owe it to them to create solutions that make aging in place effortless and achievable.”

Download the full "Aging in Place in America" study results (PDF)

Read the full press release about the "Aging in Place in America" study

Posted by John Hawbaker, Clarity

Technorati tags: Seniors, Baby Boomers, Aging in Place, Research, Clarity, EAR Foundation, Aging, Health, Technology, Independence, Nursing Homes, Caregiver

Two studies released over the last year reveal hearing loss is impacting Baby Boomers where it hurts most: their pocketbooks.

A study conducted by Clarity® and The EAR Foundation last year confirmed not only the prevalence of hearing loss among Baby Boomers, but also its negative impact on performance and productivity on the job, loss of income and overall quality of life. A similar study released May 16, 2007 by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) further reinforced the Clarity/EAR Foundation's findings.

Hearing loss among Baby Boomers has increased significantly to approximately 50 percent of those aged 45-64. It compromises job performance, resulting in lower salaries, which consequently leads to less retirement income and investment savings.

The Clarity/ EAR Foundation study found that almost one-fourth (23%) of individuals who reported a hearing loss said that their hearing loss has affected their success in the workplace. The areas most usually affected are hearing and understanding phone calls (64%) and conversations with co-workers (61%). Additionally, 27% report that their hearing loss has negatively affected their earning potential.

"The hearing loss of workers impairs their ability to fully engage in meetings and conversations, giving co-workers and bosses the impression they are less equipped to handle their jobs," explained Carsten Trads, President of Clarity, a leading supplier of amplified telephones and other assistive listening devices. "However, access to technology solutions such as amplified telephones and other assistive listening devices can dramatically improve these employees' productivity and ultimately their success at the workplace."

To help improve access to hearing loss solutions, Clarity is making a selection of assistive listening devices available at a dramatically reduced price, for a limited time, at: www.amplifymylife.com. "We think everyone should have the ability to earn a living, regardless of any hearing loss they may experience," Trads explained.

The recently released BHI study, "Impact of Hearing Loss on Household Income," validated and shed new light on the earlier findings of the Clarity/The EAR Foundation study. The study found that untreated hearing loss negatively affects household income, on average, by nearly $23,000 per year depending on the degree of hearing loss.

Although people with hearing loss make less money, the use of hearing aids restores lost income by 50 percent. While people with treated and untreated hearing loss both earn less than people with normal hearing, for people with more severe hearing loss, the income decline is cut in half for hearing aid owners. For example, the difference in income between people with mild versus profound hearing loss is $20,300 per year for those with untreated hearing loss and $10,200 for those with hearing aids.

"Aging Boomers are vital to the American work force," said Suzanne Wyatt executive director of The EAR Foundation, a national nonprofit devoted to hearing loss education and prevention. "Employers must realize the seriousness of hearing loss in our society and take positive steps in finding solutions to help retain this talent."

The Clarity/The EAR Foundation study was conducted by an independent research company, Prince Market Research, a member of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations. The research methodology was designed to ensure that the results are accurate within a margin of error of plus or minus 5% at a 95% confidence level. To access the full report, visit: http://www.clarityproducts.com/boomer/.

The "Hearing Loss on Household Income" study was based on data from 53,000 members of the National Family Opinion (NFO) panel. The survey included nearly 2,000 adults with untreated hearing loss, 2,000 with hearing aids and nearly 40,000 with normal hearing. The research was conducted by the not-for-profit Better Hearing Institute. For more information, visit: www.betterhearing.org.

Posted by John Hawbaker, Clarity

Technorati tags: Hearing Loss, Baby Boomers, EAR Foundation, Clarity

In the September issue of Hearing Products Report, Clarity's Chris Dutton was featured in "Ringing in the New", a panel discussion on new technologies and products in the assistive listening category.

There are several factors to consider for those with moderate to severe hearing loss, and new technology is making a significant difference. "It's not just about the volume, not just about the gain," Dutton says. "If you're making a bad call loud, it's still a bad call. That's where the technology becomes so critically important." This means investing in features such as sound processing through a computer chip that allows users to reduce background noise, cancel side-tone echoes, and have active noise reduction.

Telephone products for the hard of hearing also feature improved designs that are both more modern looking and functional. This month, Clarity launches the Clarity Professional C4230, a 5.8 GHz cordless telephone with up to 50 dB of amplification. The phone design was inspired by the look and feel of an ice cream scoop. The idea is to make it easier for older users to hold the phone, while the scoop-shaped ear piece molds around the ear and accommodates hearing-aid users better. "It helps give it a depth of sound, a nice richness to the sound, all while looking very cool," Dutton says. The phone also features a speakerphone capability and the option to play back messages at a slower speed.

As technology evolves, Dutton says that even more exciting features will emerge on the market. "We used to have capacitors and diodes in our phones, and now you're talking about a single chip that can process 50 million instructions per second—and that's amazing," he says. "That's what people are gong to expect now. They're going to expect phones that not only look great but also sound great."

Also discussed is the issue of standardization within the amplified telephone industry:

...many amplified telephones advertise 30 dB of gain, but it is not always clear whether this includes the 12 to 18 dBs required for normal telephones. In some cases, customers receive only twice the normal level of gain instead of the full 30 dB increase.

"If two phones are on the shelf, and they both say 30 dB, which one actually has a full 30 dB of gain?" Dutton says. "It's a very immature market right now, and there's no real regulation in place that says what a phone does in relation to any kind of standard set in the industry."

As more companies enter the market, Dutton expects to see more efforts from government agencies to regulate these types of discrepancies. "It's exciting because we can really work to set those types of regulations so that the community as a whole benefits," he says.

Click here to read the full text of "Ringing in the New"...

Posted by John Hawbaker, Clarity

Technorati tags: Hearing Loss, Amplified Telephones, Baby Boomers, Clarity Professional C4230, Clarity

In the July issue of The Hearing Review, Clarity president Carsten Trads wrote an article entitled "Amplified Telephones: Past, Present, and Future".

The article begins by discussing the growing prevalence of hearing loss among Baby Boomers

More and more families are dealing with the effects of hearing loss. While hearing loss is the second most common condition in older Americans, research shows it is a growing problem among younger generations as well. Recent studies conducted by The EAR Foundation and Clarity show that Baby Boomers, who are now between the ages of 43 and 61, have more hearing-related problems than previous generations. Studies also indicate nearly half—or 38 million Baby Boomers—have some degree of hearing loss (Figure 1).

...and continues by revealing their impact on technology and innovation:

Often referred to as the "sandwich generation," because many are caught in the caregiving "sandwich" with growing children on one side and aging parents on the other, Boomers are using their pervasive influence over culture in general, and the technology industry in particular, to rewrite the rules of aging. Rather than surrendering to age-related disabilities like hearing loss, Boomers are demanding new and innovative products that greatly minimize what were once accepted as the inevitable aspects of growing older for them and the seniors in their care. So, as the number of people affected by hearing loss grows, the number of solutions is expanding as well.

Click here to read the full text of "Amplified Telephones: Past, Present, and Future" and discover what Clarity has in store for the future of the hearing industry.

Posted by John Hawbaker, Clarity

Technorati tags: Hearing Loss, Amplified Telephones, Baby Boomers, Caregivers, Sandwich Generation, EAR Foundation, Clarity

From The Hearing Review:

Hearing loss is an often-overlooked disability of Americans who have served in the military, even though nearly 30% of veterans return home from active duty with diminished hearing. Now Clarity, a division of Plantronics Inc, and The EAR Foundation, Nashville, Tenn, a national non-profit organization devoted to education, prevention and treatment of hearing loss, are calling on the country music industry to help bring attention to this important issue and to raise money for disabled veterans.

Country music artists were asked to help the cause by autographing a donated Takamine guitar at the Academy of Country Music Awards event May 15. The guitar will then be displayed as a traveling exhibit at 21 Disabled American Veterans (DAV) air shows throughout the summer in order to raise funds to support the DAV’s service and outreach for veterans.

Several prominent music artists agreed to sign the guitar before the ACM Awards. ACM Award winners Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry were the first to donate their signatures for the DAV.

“Giving our autographs is the least we can do to help our veterans,” says Gentry. “When our men and women in uniform are asked to protect our country, they don’t think twice. So if the DAV needs our signature on a guitar, consider it done. Country music has a strong tradition of supporting our troops and I hope every artist follows our lead.”

Clarity and The EAR Foundation are not new to the ACM Awards. The two organizations have attended the past three years, raising awareness of hearing loss issues and donating products to help musicians who suffer from noise induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Read the full text of the article here

Posted by John Hawbaker, Clarity

Technorati tags: Hearing Loss, Country Music, Montgomery Gentry, Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, EAR Foundation, Clarity