Tips for Helping Your Senior Get Accustomed to a Hearing Aid
Caregiver in Northbrook IL: Getting Accustomed to a Hearing Aid
Approximately 48 million people throughout the United States are currently living with some kind of hearing loss. This number accounts for approximately 20 percent of the total population of the nation. Among those over the age of 64, 30 percent, or 1 in every 3 senior adults, is living with this diminished sense. If your elderly parent is living with decreased hearing due to changes in the structure of their ear brought on by aging, overuse caused by frequent exposure to very loud noises, or trauma, they might have made the decision to use a hearing aid. Using hearing aids can make a tremendous difference in your parent’s quality of life, helping them to hear better and improving their communication with those around them. Using these, however, can be challenging. Getting your parent accustomed to their hearing aid is important to helping them get the most benefit from these assistive devices.
Use these tips to help your senior get accustomed to a hearing aid:
- Help them recognize the reality. Using hearing aids will not fix your parent’s hearing completely or make them hear as though they never had difficulty. Helping them to be realistic about these expectations from the beginning is critical to making the process of getting accustomed to the device easier. If they expect too much, your parent might be disappointed or frustrated and give up, but if they keep their expectations in check going into the process, they can focus on the benefits that they can get.
- Encourage them to wear it regularly. Even the smallest, most comfortable hearing aids can feel strange when a person first starts wearing them. Encourage your parent to wear their hearing aid regularly, starting with a short period and gradually building up with each day until they are wearing them for as long each day as they want to wear them. Only wearing them will help your parent get over the strange feeling
- Ensure it is the right one. If your parent has been trying to wear their hearing aid and still complains that it is uncomfortable or painful to wear, they might have the wrong type. Bring them back to the doctor or specialist so that they can be evaluated and may be able to replace the device they have with one that is smaller, a different shape, or otherwise more suitable for them.
If you have found that your aging loved one’s challenges and limitations are more than you feel that you can handle effectively, your abilities or availability has changed, or you simply feel that your loved one would benefit from more diversification of support and assistance, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting home care for them. A home care provider can step in to fill any care gaps that might exist and ensure that your loved one is getting everything that they need on a schedule that is customized not just to their needs, but also to your needs as their family caregiver. This can help your elderly parent pursue the active, engaged, safe, healthy, and fulfilling quality of life that they desire and deserve, while also easing your caregiver stress and promoting more independence as your senior ages in place.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregiver services in Northbrook, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
Source
https://www.hearingloss.org/content/basic-facts-about-hearing-loss
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