Hearing Aid for Seniors- Everything You Need to Know

Hearing loss is characterized by difficulty having a conversation with family and friends. Most of the people who lose their hearing ability do it because of heredity, diseased, noise, and age.

In the 65 to 74 age group, a third of these individuals have some form of hearing loss. The proportion of the population with hearing loss gets worse for people older than 75 years. In that group, over half of the individuals have hearing loss. By the age someone is 94 years old, their likelihood of having hearing loss increases by 95 percent.

These individuals, definitely, require a hearing aid for seniors. Yet not all of them are ready to admit they have problems with their ears. The default behavior for these individuals is to withdraw from social gatherings to avoid frustration and embarrassment.

Because of their behavior, older people with hearing loss end up being viewed as uncooperative, unresponsive, and confused. Their hearing issues end up being neglected thus making them get worse. Apart from hearing aids for seniors, the doctors may prescribe surgery, special training or medication.

Hearing Loss Due To Age

This type of hearing loss is known as presbycusis. It is an ailment that increases in severity as the individual ages. The age-related hearing loss is hereditary in nature and comes mainly due to changes in the auditory nerve and inner year. It is characterized by difficulty hearing another person’s speech or tolerating loud sounds.

This often is an issue that affects both ears in equal measure. It creeps so gradually that the affected individual might not realize they are losing their hearing ability.

Presbycusis, is not curable or treatable and one must use a hearing aid for seniors. But you cannot just go out and get a hearing aid for yourself. It is always good if you get a good medical examination from a qualified doctor so that they can help you buy and fit the hearing aid.

Hearing loss can be a major problem among seniors especially when they end up seen as being unnecessarily aloof. But only one-fifth of them ever purchase a hearing aid but even when they do, they rarely put it to use.

Reasons Why Seniors Avoid Buying a Hearing Aid

A majority of seniors with hearing loss have given all types of excuses for not buying a hearing aid. The following are some of the reasons they give for their choices:

• They are associated with age

In today’s world, people are so obsessed with youth that they don’t want to be seen as aging. The only problem with this kind of view is that you will end up always asking people to repeat what they said. That will definitely make you look older than anything else.

• Difficulty adjusting

Most seniors view hearing aids as complicated technological gadgets. To them, their advanced age doesn’t leave them with much room to change.

• Lack of cosmetic appeal

Some seniors don’t like the fact that hearing aids will end up visible to the rest of the public. Yet hearing aids are equipment that are as functional as eyeglasses. For some time now, manufacturers of hearing aids have been making them smaller and invisible, even to the prying eyes. That’s the reason why you should look at a hearing aid for seniors with suspicion.

• Lack of trust in the gadgets

Of course, there are people who believe hearing aids don’t really work. What they don’t know is that poor ear evaluation and hearing aid fitting can result in the gadgets not working. Hearing aids can only help improve an already deteriorated situation. They don’t restore you to what your hearing used to be as a younger person. So only expect them to help, not to cure.

• Costly Aids

The cost of hearing aids are hardly covered by medical insurance and can be quite expensive. Most seniors just can’t afford to pay for them. While your medical insurance policy will cover the initial medical evaluation, you will end up paying up to $ 2,500 for a single hearing aid for seniors. That is a small price to pay if your hearing can be restored with properly fitted hearing aids.

Buying a Hearing Aid for Seniors

Are you finally decided on buying a hearing aid? First, book an appointment with an ear, Nose, and throat specialist. In seniors, most of the hearing loss can be corrected if the evaluation is done properly. Where a hearing evaluation is required, an audiologist will be asked to perform the task. Depending on the results of the evaluation, they will follow it up with the fitting of a hearing aid.

Before You Buy a Hearing Aid

The work of the audiologist is to ensure they custom fit the hearing aid and take you through a process of adjustment. To avoid complaints that might arise later, expect the following from your audiologist:

• A session to help you understand your type of hearing loss. That should be followed by a brief on the hearing aids that would give you the best results.
• An explanation of whether you need one or a couple of hearing aids.
• An overview of what you are expected to pay. That should touch on dispensing fee, servicing and repair costs, and any applicable warranty. Find out if they have a trial period.
• A comprehensive test after fitting to see if the hearing aids really work.
• Specific advice on how to use the hearing aids and how to maintain them.

Don’t dwell so much on the cost of a hearing aid for seniors. Although they are very expensive, they do offer the best solution to seniors with hearing loss. The key is to ensure you are working with an audiologist that will take you through the entire process and even help you maintain the gadgets. After all, they will have to be custom fitted. Later, any issues such as the sound of a squealing noise should be referred back to the audiologist. The issue could just be the build-up of wax in the ear canal which ends reducing the quality of sound. When your hearing aid starts to squeal, take it back to the audiologist so that it is tuned up.