If You Are The Primary Caregiver of a Senior This Needs to be a Priority

Are you the main caretaker for somebody older than 70? There's a lot to keep in mind. You're not likely to forget to bring a family member to an oncologist or a cardiologist because those are clear priorities. But there are things that are frequently overlooked because they don't seem like priorities such as the annual checkup with a hearing professional. And those small things can make a big difference.

The Significance of Hearing to Senior Health

More and more published research has echoed one surprising truth: your hearing is vitally important. What's more, your hearing is critical in a way that goes further than your capacity to listen to music or communicate. Neglected hearing loss has been linked to a number of physical and mental health concerns, such as loss of cognitive ability and depression.

So you inadvertently raise Mom's risk of dementia by missing her hearing consultation. If Mom isn't capable of hearing as well now, she could begin to isolate herself; she eats dinner by herself in her room, stops going to see movies, and doesn't meet with her friends.

When hearing loss sets in, this kind of social separation occurs very quickly. So mood might not be the reason for the distant behavior you've been observing in Dad or Mom. It might be their hearing. And that hearing-induced isolation can itself potentially bring about cognitive decline (your brain is a very use-it-or-lose-it kind of organ). So recognizing the signs of hearing loss, and making certain those symptoms are treated, is essential when it comes to your senior parents' mental and physical health.

How to Make Sure Hearing Will be a Priority

By now you should be persuaded. You now realize that untreated hearing loss can lead to several health problems and that you should take hearing seriously. How can you make sure ear care is a priority? Here are some things you can do:

• Help your parents remember to recharge their hearing aids each night before they go to bed (at least in situations where their hearing aids are rechargeable).
• The same is the situation if you find a senior starting to separate themselves, canceling on friends and staying inside more. A trip to come see us can help illuminate the occurrence of any hearing problems.
• Don't forget to monitor how your parents are behaving. If your parent is slowly turning the volume on their television up, you can identify the issue by making a consultation with a hearing professional.
• Once a year a hearing screening should be scheduled for everybody over the age of 55. You should help a senior parent make and keep these appointments.
• Remind your parents to wear their hearing aids every day. Consistent hearing aid use can help ensure that these devices are functioning to their optimum capacity.

Avoiding Future Health Problems

Being a caregiver probably isn't your only job so you more than likely have a lot on your plate. And if hearing issues aren't causing immediate issues, they could seem somewhat trivial. But the evidence is rather clear: treating hearing conditions now can prevent a multitude of serious issues down the road.

So you may be preventing costly illnesses down the road by taking your loved one to their hearing appointment. Depression could be prevented before it even starts. You may even be able to lower Mom's chance of getting dementia in the near-term future.

That's worth a trip to see a hearing professional for the majority of us. It's also very helpful to prompt Mom to wear her hearing aid more regularly. And that hearing aid will make your conversations with her much smoother and more pleasant.