Comfort Keepers Home Care Providers in San Antonio, TX & Hearing Loss and Senior Citizens
Home Care Providers in San Antonio, TX discuss seniors and hearing loss and how you can help!
What Does It Mean to Be Deaf?
There are many definitions that people use to describe the word deaf. While you may have your own idea of what it is, it is often confused with other terms such as hearing loss or hearing impaired. Home care providers recognize that the term deaf is used to describe an individual who has very little to no hearing at all. These individuals often learn sign language to communicate with their loved ones and those around them.
The term hard of hearing is usually used to describe someone who has a mild to moderate hearing loss. These individuals can still hear for the most part, especially when the volume is set high enough, but they may not be able to hear whispers or when someone with a soft voice speaks.
Hearing impaired is a term that is used to describe any individual who has any level of hearing loss.
How Being Deaf Affects Elderly People in the US and Around the World
Our home care providers know that hearing loss and deafness affects many seniors in both the US and around the world. In a 2012 study by WHO, there are an estimated 164.5 million people, 65 and older, who have disabling hearing loss. This is 33 percent of the world’s population. In addition, disabling hearing loss is more prevalent in some countries than others to include Asia Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. The same study shows that lower income seniors experience hearing loss more so than higher income individuals.
How to Identify if Your Loved One May Be Experiencing Sign of Deafness
It may not be easy to identify hearing loss or deafness in your loved one at first, but our home care providers assure that you will start to see the signs and symptoms pop up. Some of the signs to look for include:
· Experience a ringing in the ear
· Speak loudly
· Others seem to be constantly mumbling
· Cannot understand all words in a conversation
· Listens to the radio or TV too loudly
· Ask others to repeat themselves often
· Cannot hear normal everyday sounds such as the doorbell or a knock on the door
Solutions That May Be Available to Your Loved One
There are quite a few solutions available to your loved one should they suffer from hearing loss or deafness. One of the best ways for someone with hearing loss to communicate is through the written word or sign language. Solutions also exist for those seniors who are hard of hearing or those who have hearing loss. Some of the treatments include hearing aids, listening devices, and more.
It is important to explore what solutions are available to ensure your loved one’s safety as well. For example, there are security systems for the home that use visual aids to indicate there is an issue as opposed to just an audible sound. To learn more, please contact our Comfort Keepers home care providers today.
Sources:
https://www.beltone.com/hearing-health/warning-signs-of-hearing-loss.aspx
https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/news/GE_65years.pdf
https://www.aplaceformom.com/senior-care-resources/articles/hearing-loss-information
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing
