Manitoba rolls out grant program to help seniors cover hearing aid costs

The Manitoba government is rolling out a new grant program aimed at covering some of the costs of getting hearing aids for seniors.

The $12.6-million initiative will provide eligible Manitobans 65 and up with a $2,000 grant to cover testing, fitting and device costs, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Scott Johnston announced Thursday.

"Manitobans told us that costs associated with purchasing hearing aids [were prohibitive]," he said at a news conference at the Good Neighbours Active Living Centre in northeast Winnipeg.

"This grant aims to ensure that all seniors who require and want hearing aids have the financial means to access them, regardless of their income levels."

To be eligible, a senior's family income in the year prior must be less than $80,000, a provincial news release said. Applicants must also show medical documentation proving they have hearing loss, and have been prescribed a hearing aid by an audiologist or otolaryngologist.

The province will begin accepting applications this spring, Johnston said.

The news comes about one week after his department rolled out its seniors strategy for the coming years.

CBC News reported a decade ago that Manitoba hearing aid subsidy programs, specifically for seniors who aren't on income assistance, lagged behind those in other provinces. At that point, Manitoba only covered costs for those under 18.

Johnston suggested setting the $80,000 annual income threshold accounts for the fact that both low- and middle-income Manitobans require financial assistance for the devices.

Hearing loss isolates seniors

Susan Sader, executive director of Good Neighbours Active Living Centre, said there are seniors with hearing loss suffering from social isolation alone at home.

"The conversations you once enjoyed with friends and families aren't possible. Participating in community activities such as fitness classes, educational sessions, recreational activities and volunteering is no longer possible, because you have difficulty hearing," said Sader. 

"Your home that should feel like a refuge starts to feel like a prison."

Social isolation among seniors has become more common since COVID-19, and isolation has been linked to higher risk for mental and physical conditions ranging from high blood pressure to depression and cognitive decline, said Sader.

The grant program will help address that, she said.

"Hearing impaired seniors will be able to leave their home safely and engage in community life again."

Jo-anne Jones, president of the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, said seniors with hearing loss who don't have hearing aids also have a higher risk of falls, dementia and Alzheimer's.

"We have received a lot of phone calls and emails that are absolutely heartbreaking to us, because there are seniors and caregivers saying how much they needed a hearing aid, and it was simply unaffordable for them," she said.

Samantha Loxton is tenant resource co-ordinator with Bethania Group, which runs a 55-plus subsidized independent housing division in Winnipeg at 285 Pembina Ave.

"The older person who can't hear may well become depressed or withdrawn from others because they feel frustrated or embarrassed," said Loxton.

"Sometimes older people are mistakenly thought to be confused, unresponsive or unco-operative because they don't hear well."

She's also confident the program will have impacts beyond addressing social isolation tied to not being able to afford hearing aids.

Asked by a reporter why the cost of hearings aids isn't already covered through Manitoba Health, Minister Johnston said the new grant is a product of government work asking seniors in the community about their needs.

The most rapid way of meeting those needs was through a grant system, he said.

Johnston was also asked if the province would consider appointing a seniors' advocate, something organizations that work with older Manitobans have called for over the years. 

He pointed to formation of his department in 2022 as a response to calls for more advocacy and supports for seniors.

"This is the model that we feel is going to be in the best interest of Manitobans," he said.