Hearing Loss and Senior Citizens: Presented by Comfort Keepers Elder Care Services in Anchorage, Fairbanks, & Wasilla, AK
Elder Care Services professionals in Anchorage, AK discuss hearing loss and how it can affect your senior loved one
What Does It Mean to Be Deaf?
When you hear that someone is deaf, you may just think that they have a slight hearing loss. Our elder care services professionals recognize that this is a term that often has the definition confused with other terms. Deaf means that an individual has very little to no hearing capability while someone who is hard of hearing will have a mild to moderate hearing loss. Most people who are deaf communicate through sign language, whereas someone who is hard of hearing will be able to still hear somethings and communicate with others verbally.
Hearing-impaired is another term that is used to describe anyone who has any type of hearing loss, even if it is slight. Many people do not like to be called “impaired” and would just rather be labeled as hard of hearing or deaf.
How Being Deaf Affects Elderly People in the US and Around the World
The statistics about elderly hearing loss and deafness are overwhelming. In fact, two out of three people with hearing loss in the UK have never been diagnosed or treated. Across the world, 33 percent of adults age 65 and older have disabling hearing loss. In addition to that, more than 50 percent of those 75 and older in the US have a disabling hearing loss. Our elder care services professionals deal with those suffering from hearing loss daily.
How to Identify if Your Loved One May Be Experiencing Sign of Deafness
Deafness can be caused by any condition that stems from birth, happens gradually, or is a result of a physical condition or accident. Our elder care services professionals warn that individuals who develop a hearing impairment will often do so over time and there are some symptoms that should alert you that your loved one should speak with an audiologist. Some of those symptoms include:
· Muffled speech or sounds
· Trouble identifying consonants in a sentence
· Avoidance of social situations or speaking opportunities
· Asking others to repeat themselves or to talk more clearly
· Needing to turn the volume up too loud settings on the TV, radio, and more
· Trouble speaking or hearing in larger crowds
Solutions That May Be Available to Your Loved One
One of the most common solutions for hearing loss is hearing aid. Seniors are able to wear them comfortably and some remain in the ear all of the time and others are removed at night. These aids will allow your loved one to adjust the volume so that they can hear conversations around them. Other solutions exist too such as listening devices, visual aids, and sign language.
If you would like to learn more about how the team at Comfort Keepers elder care services can help your loved one, call us today.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/basics/symptoms/con-20027684
https://www.deaftec.org/content/deaf-definitions
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing
https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/news/GE_65years.pdf
https://www.beltone.com/hearing-health/warning-signs-of-hearing-loss.aspx
