Signs Your Senior Parent May Need Hearing Aids
If your senior parent is experiencing hearing loss they may not mention it to you. Many seniors just assume that some hearing loss is part of getting older. But if your senior parent is experiencing hearing loss they may hearing aids to help them continue living alone safely.
Seniors with home care have help they can rely on in an emergency, but seniors who don’t have home care may be hurt if there’s an emergency and they can’t hear an alarm, the phone, or a warning siren.
If you notice that your senior parent seems to be having trouble hearing you when you speak, or if the TV is up really loud all the time your senior parent may have hearing loss. Seniors who are showing any of these signs need to be assessed by their doctor to see if they need hearing aids:
Difficulty Having Conversations
If your senior parent seems to not hear most of what is said in conversations, or if they talk over others, or if they don’t speak at an appropriate time they could be having trouble hearing what the other person is saying. That could be why they don’t seem to know when it’s their time to speak.
Not Wanting to Go Out
If your senior parent suddenly doesn’t want to go to the gym, restaurants, or to other places where there may be lots of background noise and multiple conversations going on it could be due to hearing loss. If your senior parent can’t differentiate voices it can be frustrating and confusing for them to be in crowded environments.
Misunderstanding Spoken Words
Your senior parent may start to misinterpret spoken words or respond inappropriately to questions or comments. This can be a result of not hearing the conversation accurately, leading to misunderstandings and potential communication breakdowns.
Difficulty Talking on the Phone
If your parent struggles to hear clearly on the phone and frequently asks callers to repeat themselves, it may be an indication of hearing loss. They may also avoid phone conversations altogether.
Complaints About Ear Pain or Ringing
Hearing loss can sometimes be accompanied by physical discomfort, such as ear pain or ringing (tinnitus). If your parent complains about these symptoms, it’s essential to have their hearing assessed.
Changes in Their Speech Patterns
Seniors who are experiencing hearing loss may unconsciously alter their speech patterns. Your senior parent may speak more loudly, mispronounce words, or struggle to articulate sounds clearly.
Not Hearing Ambient or Environmental Sounds
If your senior parent can’t hear the doorbell, the microwave dinging, the smoke detector, and other noises that are all around them make an appointment for them to see their doctor and get their hearing checked. It can be dangerous for seniors living alone to be unable to hear what’s going on around them. You may want to install a smoke alarm that flashes as well as makes noise. You may also want to install a video doorbell that will set off an alert on their phone if someone rings the doorbell or comes to the door.