Discuss your care needs
Westchester: (914)-362-0899
Manhattan: (212)-874-2826
Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens: (718)-733-2222
Connecticut: (203)-914-9668
May brings us Better Hearing & Speech Month. This obscure observation began back in 1927 in order to bring awareness about hearing loss and speech impediments and to the potential treatments. President Ronald Reagan made it official in 1986.
Awareness
This is a great reminder to make your parent’s yearly appointment with their audiologist. Loss of hearing can be difficult to detect, especially when taken into consideration with the other ailments your parent may be facing. Approximately 34 million Americans have hearing loss. Studies suggest that obtaining hearing aids can not only help your parent hear better and ease their frustration, but also keep their hearing from getting worse. Hearing aids help over 90 percent of those with hearing loss.
Reluctance
Your parent may be reluctant to obtain a hearing aid. This can be due to their past experience or watching their friends or loved ones become exasperated due to background noise or an intermittent buzzing. Fortunately, hearing aids have come a long way in recent years and continue to make advancements.
Digital noise reduction (DNR) has improved the ability to hear even when in a noisy environment. According to an article in The Hearing Review, “Advances in DNR should help the brain create an internal acoustic landscape which more accurately reflects and interprets the real-world acoustic environment, to provide an internal accurate ‘open acoustic landscape’ from which the brain can identify and change its focus as desired to maximally understand speech, even in a background of speech and non-speech noise.”
Studies to Help Support the Need for Hearing Aids
Studies suggest hearing loss can affect other areas of one’s life than just communication. A study conducted at Johns Hopkins revealed that a mild degree of hearing loss almost tripled the risk of falling.
Helping your Parent Adapt
The first few weeks can be trying as your parent’s brain and ears learn to adapt to hearing aids. It may even take many months before they become a part of their existence and, similar to glasses, don’t think twice about their presence. There are a few tried and true techniques that can make this process easier and less frustrating.
Hiring an Elder Care Provider
If your loved one’s hearing loss or other physical ailments are keeping them from performing the everyday activities of living, consider obtaining the services of an elder care provider. They can assist with the daily tasks, provide transportation, and practice communication and active listening with your parent. Most importantly, they can provide the companionship so important to people as they navigate through the changes that aging brings.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in New York, NY, contact Star One Home Care and Medical Staffing at 718-733-2222 or 914-362-0899. Call today!
Resources
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_three_fold_risk_of_falling
Patricia Coffie, RN, BSN, MFA
Director of Client Services at Star One Home Care
Patricia Coffie, RN, BSN, MFA is Director of Client Services & Director of Phoenix Nurse Aide Training Center. Before assuming the post in 2012, Patricia was the Director or Nursing & Service Delivery at WRC for 3 years where she was the strategic lead for nursing and services to members.
Patricia started her nursing career 19 years ago at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and research institution in New York City, and since then has gained experience in Adult Intensive Care Units (ICU) , Pediatric Care (PICU ), Operating Room (OR) , mental health and community settings. She later moved into director of nursing roles, where she obtained extensive experience in leading and developing the nursing profession. She also pioneered good partnership working with other health care organizations, as well as social services, and the wider community.
Latest posts by Patricia Coffie, RN, BSN, MFA
Caring for a Parent with Vision Loss - July 25, 2017
Living with Huntington’s Disease - June 29, 2017
The Risks and Rehabilitation of a Stroke - June 22, 2017