The Hearing Health Gym (HHG) is a program designed to train and teach residents of independent and/or assisted living centers and nursing homes how to improve their hearing health. The HHG utilizes undergraduate and graduate students to help train residents on skills such as communication strategies and coping skills to improve daily communication. The HHG also trains and informs residents about currently available hearing technology, their personal hearing aids, how we hear, and how to read a hearing test so that each resident can be an informed consumer of hearing healthcare resources.

Often, individuals living in community centers for senior citizens have poor access to outside health services. People who reside in the aforementioned centers may be limited in their means to travel and/or payment for additional follow-up health services. For the senior age group, hearing loss is a pressing health concern that is often put on the “back burner” for a myriad of reasons. Community groups such as the HHG can help alter negative perceptions and close the gap in hearing healthcare, making hearing assistive technology a normal part of everyday life. The HHG aims to create knowledgeable consumers and empowered advocates for hearing health, which will, in turn, allow for a higher quality of life.