Over the past 40 years, the senior population in Canada has almost tripled in size. In many cases, adult children are providing some level of care for their aging parents. This often ranges from assistance with daily activities and routines to focusing on improved health and illness prevention.
One of the extremely common and persistent health conditions many older adults are dealing with is hearing loss.
Age-Related Hearing Loss
Age-related hearing loss can be a particularly challenging issue to deal with due to its slow progression and the variety of coping mechanisms typically used to handle it. Because it develops gradually over time, many seniors are not even consciously aware of the problem. Techniques like turning up the volume, asking people to repeat themselves, and avoiding potentially awkward social situations help older adults continue living with hearing loss.
These coping mechanisms may work in the short term, but they are really only serving to exacerbate the issue as it progressively gets worse. Many seniors are also irrationally resistant to getting hearing aids for one reason or another. It may be a fear of losing independence or being perceived as weak or incompetent. Finding the right way to broach the subject of hearing loss can help overcome these obstacles to get seniors the assistance and support they need.
Compelling Arguments for Hearing Aids
There are several approaches that can be taken to address the subject of hearing loss and present the benefits of hearing aids in a positive way.
Keeping the Brain Healthy and Active
One major side effect of letting hearing loss go untreated is the associated cognitive decline. As it becomes more difficult to hear certain frequencies and identify sounds the brain loses its ability to interpret sound signals coming in through the inner ear. The longer this goes on, the more sounds become unrecognizable to the individual with hearing loss. Hearing aids help amplify these problematic sounds and retrain the brain to interpret them accurately.
Enhanced Safety
Being out in public with hearing loss, either as a driver or pedestrian, can increase the risk of accidents and injury. Not being able to hear car horns, emergency sirens, or shouts of warning can put seniors with hearing loss in danger. Hearing loss can also cause problems when communicating with doctors or healthcare professionals, resulting in directions being followed incorrectly or not at all.
Hearing Aids Can Improve Overall Health
Hearing loss can have a negative impact on several areas of health and wellbeing. It was already mentioned how hearing loss can compromise safety and cognitive abilities, but It can also lead to other health issues. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between hearing loss and dementia. Depending on the severity of the hearing loss, it can cause up to five times greater risk of developing dementia. People with hearing loss often become more socially isolated and less active in general which can lead to a wide range of other health concerns.
Helpful Tips for Broaching the Subject of Hearing Loss
Quite often, the way a sensitive subject is presented makes all the difference as to how it is received. It is recommended to take a gentle and delicate approach while considering it from their point of view. Empathy goes a long in way situations like these as it shows you care about their position and feelings.
Try to avoid making demands, but instead present the proven benefits of hearing aids in a general and non-accusatory way. Mentioning how hearing aids have improved social interaction, cognitive ability, and overall quality of life for so many others is often helpful.
Some important things to consider are:
- Getting educated about hearing aids and hearing loss
- Take a compassionate and caring approach
- Make sure the timing is right o bring up the subject
- Mention how the hearing loss is affecting your relationship
- Listen and be client – you may not get the results you are looking for on the first try!
