We offer practical tips and supportive solutions to help navigate senior hearing loss.
“Pardon me?”
“Would you say that one more time, dear?”
“I apologize—what did you say?”
If this sounds like a regular reply in your conversations with someone you love, you’re not alone. The National Institute on Aging reports a solid link between growing older and hearing loss, with as many as 50% of all individuals age 75 and older experiencing hearing challenges.
Senior hearing loss typically sneaks up slowly. After a while, the damage to the ears from noise results in hearing loss by injuring the vulnerable inner ear. However, seniors with hearing loss commonly wait an average of seven years before seeking help, and more than 15 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss never seek help at all.
Though hearing loss is irreparable, our home care experts want individuals who are afflicted by its effects to know that there are tactics to help effectively manage hearing loss. To communicate more successfully, individuals with a hearing loss should practice the following:
- Look into using devices such as flashing/vibrating clocks and phones; visible doorbell alerts; specialty smoke and burglar alarms
- Turn off all distracting background noise
- Think about using an assistive device — hearing devices, including television-listening systems or telephone-amplifying products, help people hear better while lessening other sounds
- Position themselves to hear better by facing the person to whom they are communicating
- Find quiet settings
- Ask others to speak clearly
Family members can help by:
- Adapting the home environment, when feasible, to accommodate the special needs of those with a hearing loss
- Knowing the signs of hearing loss and making appropriate referrals
- Seeking out the support of experts from Compassionate Care Home Health Services who have developed expertise in providing quality home care to seniors with hearing loss
- Being sensitive to the impact hearing loss has on the older person and the stages of adjustment the senior may go through before acceptance
For more assistance…
- Contact AssistGuide Information Services for new and improved devices for accommodating hearing loss
- Contact Compassionate Care Home Health Services for help with finding ways to live comfortably in spite of hearing loss
Regrettably, many older adults begin to feel left out and isolated when experiencing hearing loss. The caring, fully-trained care providers at Compassionate Care Home Health Services can help provide relief for lonely seniors through companionship, accompanied transportation to appointments and events, and more. Contact us any time at 877.308.1212 to discover more about our home care services in Cadillac, West Branch, Saginaw, and the surrounding areas.