NUH
Health x Wellness
8,000 Residents To Be Checked For Hearing Loss
One-stop clinic provides comprehensive hearing test, hearing aid fittings and aural
rehabilitation services.
Over the next two years, 8,000 residents aged 40-years-old and above will benefit from hearing diagnostic tests conducted in roving Mobile Hearing Clinics (MHC) at Community Centres (CC) or Residents’ Committee Centres (RC) near their homes. It is estimated that more than 400 of them will also be fitted with a hearing aid to enhance their quality of life.
The MHC is an initiative by the National University Hospital’s Department of Otolaryngology (ENT or Ear, Nose, Throat) – Head and Neck Surgery to make hearing services more accessible and to raise public awareness about how hearing loss can impact daily life adversely. International studies have shown that elderly with hearing loss are also more likely to develop Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as compared to their counterparts with normal hearing. Untreated hearing loss can result in depression, anxiety, frustration, social isolation and reduction in the quality of life.
There are currently two such roving clinics and each clinic is equipped with two audio testing rooms comprising a comprehensive suite of hearing test equipment and hearing aid fitting systems.
In partnership with People’s Association (PA) and as part of its Wellness Programme, the MHC which started on 14 December 2015 has screened about 500 residents living in Bukit Panjang, Tampines West, Yuhua and Nee Soon Central. The PA Wellness Programme seeks to engage seniors in activities which help them stay mentally, physically and socially active.One such activity is health screening with intervention.
About 82% of the 500 people screened suffer from some degree of hearing loss. Among them, 70% were diagnosed with mild to moderate hearing loss, which may progress to a more severe form of hearing loss. About 50 of them also had their hearing aid fitted, with 30 more expected to be fitted in the coming month. NUH will continue working closely with the PA to increase awareness of this service. By March 2016, this service will be extended to residents in Queenstown. The MHC services will be expanded in phases to serve more than 20 CCs or RCs. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm. Residents can find out details about the screening locations at https://www.nuh.com.sg/ent/mobile-hearing-clinic.html and make an appointment through the CC or RC where the screening will be held.
The cost of screening is S$5 and an additional S$15 for those who require further evaluation. Hearing aids range from S$1,800 to S$3,200 and eligible individuals can enjoy at least 90% in financial assistance (capped at S$2,700 or whichever is lower) through the Seniors’ Mobility & Enabling Fund (SMF) or the Health Services Development Programme (HSDP) fund. Residents who sign up for the service will be part of a research that aims to study the cost effectiveness of active screening for the public and how hearing aids help to reduce the burden of the disease. They are required to fill out some questionnaires and be committed to follow through the treatment that is prescribed for them.
