Carol and her husband, Hal, started Interpersonal Communications in 1985. Hal, a psychologist, and Carol, a nurse, saw hearing aids as more than just a device that aids hearing. It’s about communicating and being close to friends and loved ones. Hearing loss isolates people. It affects cognitive health. Even more importantly, it affects emotional health.

Maslow’s famous “Hierarchy of Needs” was re-examined by Dr Ed Diener and I think the results support what Carol and I think: that connection with other people is a bit more important for happiness that Maslow’s theory says it is.

The Atlantic wrote an article about the study in 2011:

“As it turns out, the needs that are most linked with everyday satisfaction are interpersonal ones, such as love and respect.” The study author writes, “It shows clearly the importance in all societies of human connections and social supports, something that’s been ignored in recent years.”