You may have noticed that your aging relative doesn’t seem to hear as well as they once did. Maybe they have difficulty following a conversation or turn the television volume up so loud that it annoys others. Though their hearing loss may be obvious to you, it can come on so gradually that the older adult doesn’t realize it’s a problem. That can make it hard to convince them they need a hearing aid. It can help to enter into the conversation with some convincing reasons to get a hearing aid. Here are 3 ways having a hearing aid can make your older family member’s life better.
#1: Reduce Fall Risk
Research shows that people with even mildly impaired hearing are at three times the risk for falling. And, for every 10 decibels of loss, the risk goes up by 140 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 million seniors go to the emergency room because of a fall and one out of five falls results in a serious injury. Not being able to hear well makes a person less aware of their surroundings, which can cause them to trip over a family pet or be run into by a careless person on the sidewalk or in a store.
#2: Increase Participation
Being unable to hear well can make seniors withdraw from conversation and activities. They may be afraid they’ll embarrass themselves by saying the wrong thing because they misheard. In addition, participating may just be too difficult. The ability to hear is important to communication with friends and family members. A survey conducted by researchers in the UK showed that 44 percent of people with hearing loss believed their relationships had suffered because of it. 52 percent felt like they were left out of conversations and activities.
#3: Decrease Dementia Risk
Research indicates that hearing loss may be a risk factor for dementia. In a study conducted by the National Institute on Aging in conjunction with Johns Hopkins, scientists followed 639 study participants for between 12 and 18 years. They found that those who had hearing loss had a higher chance of developing dementia. There are several theories as to why this may happen, such as:
- Constantly struggling to hear and make sense of sounds strains the brain.
- Hearing loss can lead to social isolation, which reduces mental stimulation.
- Hearing loss results in the loss of brain tissue in the part of the brain that controls hearing, which is the same part of the brain that controls memory, thinking, and learning.
Whether your aging relative uses a hearing aid or not, senior care can help them to deal with hearing loss. A senior care provider can assist an older adult to maintain their hearing aid by cleaning the device and changing the battery. Senior care providers can also help to keep the older adult more involved in everyday activities and prevent them from falling by looking out for hazards.
Sources
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/hearing-aids-benefits.html?intcmp=AE-HP-LL1
https://www.starkey.com/improve-your-hearing/frequently-asked-questions/hearing-and-quality-of-life
https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Cherry Hills, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Denver. Call today: (303) 756-9322.
