Over-55s ‘sound off at venues’

KIM WATERS
NOISY Geelong restaurants are driving away over-55 diners with hearing problems, according to new research.
The Hearing Life research found that 45 per cent of Geelong’s over-55 respondents “always” avoided the city’s noisy restaurants.
They were less likely than counterparts in other areas of the state to make restaurants aware they were too noisy, the research found.
Geelong’s Peter Broadley, 68, said his hearing impairment often left him “fading into the background” in noisy venues, so he avoided them.
“You tend to get marginalised in noisy environments,” Mr Broadley said.
“You can’t hear conversations so you can’t take part in them.
“If you want sympathy when you’re deaf you should break your leg.”
Mr Broadley said he deliberately chose quieter venues.
“People are enjoying themselves and talking, so you don’t want to come across as a wowser. It’s just unfortunate because you’re a bit deaf.
“I’d never complain about a restaurant being too noisy. You feel like you just have to put up with it.”
A Hearing Life spokesperson said respondents ranked acoustics and noise levels as “far more important” than portion sizes, décor or bathroom facilities.
Restaurant operators would be surprised how many potential clients were in the over-55 demographic, the spokesperson said, “and even more so if they knew that one in three Australians over 60 have some form of hearing loss”.
“Only 10 per cent of the restaurants surveyed said that they’d considered noise as a key issue when planning or modifying their restaurant but almost half were interested in finding out how to make their restaurants more hearing friendly”.
The spokesperson encouraged owners to keep music at conversation level, look directly at mature-aged patrons when listing specials or confirming orders and consider setting aside tables in quieter areas for over-55s.