Hearing Aids? Do you need them? How do you know?

My Everyday Tools: Hearing Aids and Glasses

It seems odd that hearing aids are not something I focused on as a tool for assisting my “wellbeing” in a significant way. If you think about it at all, it would seem that hearing aids are just as important as glasses for reading and driving. My favorite question these days, which I have adopted from Rachel Maddow of MSNBC – “Why is that“?

Flash back to August of 2017, when I wrote a post about hearing loss, and at that time I called attention to the research, which determined that dementia ( I repeat, dementia) could be related to hearing loss. (https://livingsenior.me/2017/08/21/hearing-loss-dementia/)

Flash forward, after a recent hearing test (have you had one lately? ever had one?), my Audiologist doctor determined that I required hearing aids due to hearing loss in both ears. In addition, she was concerned because difficulty hearing raises dementia risk. There it is again: dementia and hearing loss are related.

The National Institute on Aging (NIH) reports one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss. However, we are not proactive due to embarrassment and rather we avoid letting others know that we are experiencing difficulty following their conversations. Read more about tips on how to handle hearing loss at this link. Be proactive about managing this health issue.
Flash Present Time, I have received and I am wearing my Hearing Aids. The difference is substantial. For example, the volume dial on my TV has been turned down from 40 to 20.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-common-problem-older-adults

You can also apply to CaptionCall to provide you with a CaptionCall phone, which has a free captioning service. The phone works to provides you with amplification and a screen that is easy-to-read so that you can see the conversation in words.

You can call 1-877-557-2227, or go to the website at https://captioncall.com/ They deliver the phone and install it for free. They also provide training and support. There is no cost to you.

There’s a lot of talk about being in the room these days, which invites the question: what are you hearing when you’re in the room? I recommend that you be proactive to get tested, and get fitted.