According to the National Institutes of Health, roughly 25% of all Americans aged 65 to 74 suffer from some form of hearing loss. For those 75-and-over, the rate is one out of two.
If you’re currently caring for an aging in place elderly loved one with a hearing impairment, keeping the lines of communication open so you can provide them with the daily assistance they need can be quite challenging. Fortunately, there are several proven ways to do so, starting with these.
Hearing loss and the aging process go hand in hand. But outside of the aging process itself, there are several other reasons why seniors lose their hearing, including:
Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent, and if your loved one also has some cognitive impairment, like dementia, it becomes even harder to communicate with them.
As a caregiver, helping a hearing-impaired elderly loved one maintain a good quality-of-life is a priority. Unfortunately, hearing loss can place your senior’s health and wellbeing at risk for these reasons:
Someone who can’t hear what’s being said can oftentimes feel estranged and distrustful towards others, including their caregivers.
A person with hearing loss oftentimes finds it too hard to carry on a conversation with others, so they just “give up” and withdraw from society. At the very least, most seniors with impaired hearing talk less than they used to, engage in fewer activities than before, and are at higher risk for suffering from depression.
Sometimes strangers who are unfamiliar with a hearing-impaired elder’s situation view them as being “crazy” because it seems like they are responding inappropriately to their questions.
If you remember how socially engaged and active your loved one used to be, when you start noticing these changing behaviors it’s disheartening.
As a caregiver, try cheerfully supporting your loved one to minimize the negative emotions they’re probably experiencing, like social awkwardness, inadequacy and embarrassment. Providing the nurturing they need is possible when you take these steps:
Caring for an at-home senior with hearing loss is possible, but it can also seem overwhelming when you have your own household to manage or live far away. When you need a hand, call Senior Crossroads of Florida. We are a fully licensed and insured Home Care agency with thoroughly screened caregivers who are highly trained to care for hearing-impaired seniors. Our goal is to serve as an extended family in your loved one’s home so they can continue aging comfortably in place right where they want to be.
With family trusted, in-home services like light housekeeping, personal hygiene, meals, medication reminders, companionship and transportation, all our reliable amenities can be individually tailored in an affordable package to put your mind at ease.