It is common to suffer from hearing loss in varying degrees due to various health complications with increasing age. Here, we will discuss several factors to help the elderly with hearing loss.
Hearing aids, assistive devices, identifying associated ear problems, meeting communication needs are the major steps to help the elderly population with hearing loss. We will discuss these right below.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are the best friends for hearing loss patients. These devices can address mild to profound hearing loss and allow the user to get back their hearing abilities.
There are different types of hearing products available in the market. Some devices are barely noticeable, while others host powerful and slightly bigger hardware to address severe to profound hearing loss. Some devices are also designed to look less like a medical device but fashion accessories.
Hearing aid technology has evolved a lot in the past years. Now it is possible to automatically adjust your hearing aid to enable you to hear better despite your environment.
Other than that, hearing aids can now cancel unwanted noise and can connect with your smartphone device. As a result, you will be able to hear better and control your device with ease.
Hearing Assistive Devices
Hearing assistive devices enable you to listen to sounds better in various situations. Commonly these devices are designed to connect with your hearing aids to stream sound directly into your hearing aids.
Hearing assistive devices or assistive listening devices are commonly grouped into four distinctive categories:
- Amplified telephones
- Notification systems
- Personal amplifiers
- TV streamers
Amplified telephones are one of the common ALDs and help those who face challenges hearing sounds over the phone. You can set optimum volume, and the amplified telephones have a higher ringer tone than other phones. Using these phones with hearing aids will give you the best user experience.
Notification systems allow you to notify different alarms you usually use. It can notify you about doorbells, smoke alarms, even alarm clocks. This system helps you detect visual, vibrational, or loud sound cues important for safety.
Personal amplifiers contain a microphone to allow the listener to hear better. The microphone can either be attached to the earpiece or connected via Bluetooth. It can help the users when they are in lecture halls, concerts, or seminars.
TV streamers allow hearing aid patients to keep the volume at a reasonable level while canceling out the noise to enable the users to hear better. A plug-in streamer is connected with the TV to send the sound directly to the user’s headset. Therefore the user can adjust the volume to their liking while others can adjust the volume to a tolerable level to enjoy.
Assistive hearing devices qualify as reasonable expenses for many insurance allowances like NDIS funds. By coordinating with a plan manager, participants can easily avail themselves of this necessary equipment.
Identifying Associated Hearing Problems
Hearing-associated problems can factor a lot in causing a higher degree of hearing loss or turning someone completely deaf. Therefore, addressing such problems in the soonest possible time is very crucial.
While earwax is the natural defense mechanism of your ear, it can dull your hearing when deposited a lot. Therefore, professional ear cleaning regularly should be considered. It will allow you to get checked for other hearing-associated problems.
Infection or tumors in the ear can cause severe hearing problems within a very short period. Therefore, it is recommended to get checked once a year. If you work in a noisy workplace, more frequent visits are recommended.
If you are experiencing ringing sounds in your ear, you may be suffering from tinnitus. Get your ear checked as soon as possible before the problem escalates.
If the doctor suggests you wear a hearing aid for any problems, make sure to wear it continuously before you get used to it. It will help you to hear better and won’t let your problem escalate.
Meeting Communication Needs
Hearing loss often isolates the patients from others as they cannot communicate properly with others. It can bring severe depressive symptoms to the patients. For older individuals, this problem is more severe than the younger ones.
In such cases, meeting their communication needs can help in preventing severe health conditions. Hearing aids, assistive listening devices, cochlear implants can help a lot in this manner.
Other than using devices, hearing loss patients can take up sign language classes. It will allow them to learn a new language to communicate effectively while introducing them to peers who are suffering from the same problems as they are.
By meeting the communication needs, elderly folks can live healthier and fuller lives.
Bottom Line
Hearing loss can greatly impact the lives of patients, especially older adults. With proper care and devices, it is possible to avoid the adverse effects of this disability. One can easily follow the above-mentioned steps and lead regular healthy lives.
It is crucial to get and use hearing aids as soon as the problem appears. Otherwise, the problem will only escalate and will cause bigger health problems.
