Case study: David’s story

David, a retired engineer lives in Pontllanfraith with his wife, Margaret and their dog Fudge.

David took early retirement in 2015 and was looking forward to enjoying life with Margaret, buying a house and travelling but instead his hearing deteriorated rapidly which dramatically affected his quality of life.

David says: “My standard of life dropped completely. Communication was very hard, even between Margaret and myself. Because I couldn’t hear what she was saying, you get frustrated with each other. But it doesn’t just affect me, it affected Margaret just as much, she loves talking and she lost that”.

Margaret began managing practical matters such as phoning banks, insurance companies, and other organisations because David couldn’t manage phone calls.

David described how quickly losing his hearing left him unable to adapt “You don’t have time to pick up lip-reading skills. Men with beards, people who don’t move their lips, it’s so difficult. Communicating with banks, insurance companies and even ordering a coffee became frightening. “You lose so much confidence. You’re scared of doing something wrong. That independence being taken away was devastating”.

Realising they both needed support, Margaret started doing some research online and came across Care & Repair’s Managing Better service. She contacted Care & Repair Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly and the Managing Better caseworker; Theresa visited them at home.

Theresa arranged specialist TV listening equipment with headphones so he could hear environmental sound effects even if speech was still unclear. David explained that although subtitles helped with television, watching without sound felt flat and one-dimensional. “It made a huge difference. I could hear the sounds again.”

Theresa arranged vibrating doorbell equipment that David could clip onto himself, including one at the side gate. David says “It doesn’t matter where I am in the house, I know somebody’s there.”

Fire safety was another major issue. Theresa helped arrange smoke alarms linked to vibrating pads and strobe lights. David says: “When Theresa said, ‘If a smoke alarm goes off, how will you know, ’I’d never even thought of it.”

As his hearing continued to deteriorate, even that equipment eventually became difficult to tolerate emotionally. Audiology appointments every two years showed his hearing dropping by around fifty percent each time.

David underwent cochlear implant surgery in May 2025. His implant was switched on two months later. “They switched it on and I could understand speech straight away. It sounded robotic at first, but within ten to fifteen minutes my brain adjusted.”

One emotional moment came when he heard Margaret’s Irish accent again for the first time in years. “It was like meeting her for the first time again. Over time, everyday sounds returned, birds singing, wind in trees, traffic noise. I feed the birds every morning now. I appreciate it every time.”

David said his confidence has returned: “I can go into shops on my own now, order a coffee, chat to people when I’m out with the dog. Margaret can shout up the stairs now and I hear her. Before she’d have to come and find me.”

David emphasised that Theresa’s visits mattered not only practically but emotionally:

“Just having someone there who understands made a huge difference. Audiology is tremendous, but they’ve got limited powers. Theresa helped with living as normal a life as possible. I can’t emphasise enough how much Theresa and the Managing Better service has helped. Just being there to talk. They’re a point of contact and a comfort. They help mentally. Just knowing somebody’s there makes a big difference. Theresa has helped me enjoy life again”.

Managing Better is a free home visiting service offering advice and practical help for people over the age of 50 who have hearing loss, sight loss, dementia, or have had a stroke. Our dedicated and trusted caseworkers can visit you and provide free advice and practical support to help you live as independently as possible.

We’re proud to deliver Managing Better in partnership with Stroke Association Alzheimer’s Society Cymru RNIB Cymru and RNID ensuring the right support is available at the right time.