“People who come to us talk about not being able to hear their grandchildren, or how they used to go to a bridge club and they couldn’t hear the bids, so they stopped going. The impact of not doing something about hearing loss can make your world smaller and can mean that you don’t have as good a quality of life.” There’s also emerging evidence linking hearing loss to increased risk of dementia. Although researchers don’t yet understand why, there’s speculation that the isolation caused by hearing loss, or the additional cognitive load from trying to decode sounds, could be factors. Hearing loss may also impact your work. “There is some research to show that having hearing difficulties can mean you may stop work prematurely. We hear this from people: ‘I can’t chair these meetings anymore, because I can’t hear all the people in the room.’ So it would be important to address your hearing in the workplace – you don’t want that to be a reason that you stopped doing the work that you enjoy.” TAKING ACTION The support of loved ones is one of the factors that helps people break through the stigma and get help. “You might notice a “I put it off and put it off, and eventually it was like, well, we can’t go on like this, because it’s clearly going to get harder and harder.” Tony has had hearing aids for a month and although it’s taking time to adjust, they’ve made a “subtle but noticeable” difference to work events and his social life. “When you’re in a group, say in a restaurant or a party, and there’s a lot of surround sound, it was very difficult to hear, and I would literally be just nodding to be polite. I was
family member’s hearing difficulties before they do. But it shouldn’t become a scolding of them for not hearing. I think it’s about a supportive conversation around what can you do about this. If people get hear- ing aids they get really great results these days, so get them to talk to other people they know who have hearing aids and how they find them.” Pensioners are eligible for free or subsidised hearing treatments via the Australian Government Hearing Services Program, and some health funds also cover costs. Hearing starts to change after age 50, so Professor Hickson recommends all Australians get their hearing checked every couple of years in the second half of their life. She also says it’s import- ant to pay attention to changes in your social interactions. “If you’ve stopped doing something, why have you stopped doing it? Is it because you couldn’t hear in that situa- tion, so you don’t enjoy it as much? I’d say that’s a sign you need to take some action, if it’s affecting what you do every day and meaning you’re not having the same engaged quality of life that you used to have.”
HEARING LOSS DEVICES Depending on the type of hearing loss, treatment options might involve:
• Hearing aids .
The electronic devices are worn in or behind the ear to make sounds louder and send them to your ear via a speaker. They’re generally used to help people with sensorineural deafness, meaning the inner ear or hearing nerves are damaged. The electronic devices are surgically placed into your inner ear. They suit people with sensorineural deafness who don’t benefit from hearing aids. A sound processor, connected to a surgical implant, converts sounds into vibrations and transfers them through your skull bone directly into the inner ear. They’re recommended for people with conductive hearing loss.
• Cochlear implants.
• Bone conduction implants.
• Assistive listening devices. These include wireless headsets to amplify your TV. • Tech supports. A variety of phone apps can help with sounds and communication. • Group programs for adults with hearing loss. Learn communication strategies in groups such as the Active Communication Education (ACE) program.
starting to notice that I didn’t want to go out into social situations because of that problem. In the month that I’ve had my hearing aids I have noticed it has got better, and I do feel more confident.” If you think you might have hearing loss, he urges you to see your GP or an audiologist without delay. “The last thing you want to do is isolate yourself from the world and see it deteriorate further
to the point where it actually is a bigger challenge to fix.”
33
SENIORS.COM.AU
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 DARE
Powered by FlippingBook