May is the Better Hearing & Speech Month

Admin • March 8, 2022

May brings us Better Hearing & Speech Month. This obscure observation began back in 1927 in order to bring awareness about hearing loss and speech impediments and to the potential treatments. President Ronald Reagan made it official in 1986.

Awareness

This is a great reminder to make your parent’s yearly appointment with their audiologist. Loss of hearing can be difficult to detect, especially when taken into consideration with the other ailments your parent may be facing. Approximately 34 million Americans have hearing loss. Studies suggest that obtaining hearing aids can not only help your parent hear better and ease their frustration, but also keep their hearing from getting worse. Hearing aids help over 90 percent of those with hearing loss.

Reluctance

Your parent may be reluctant to obtain a hearing aid. This can be due to their past experience or watching their friends or loved ones become exasperated due to background noise or an intermittent buzzing. Fortunately, hearing aids have come a long way in recent years and continue to make advancements.

Digital noise reduction (DNR) has improved the ability to hear even when in a noisy environment. According to an article in The Hearing Review, “Advances in DNR should help the brain create an internal acoustic landscape which more accurately reflects and interprets the real-world acoustic environment, to provide an internal accurate ‘open acoustic landscape’ from which the brain can identify and change its focus as desired to maximally understand speech, even in a background of speech and non-speech noise.”

Studies to Help Support the Need for Hearing Aids

Studies suggest hearing loss can affect other areas of one’s life than just communication. A study conducted at Johns Hopkins revealed that a mild degree of hearing loss almost tripled the risk of falling.

Helping your Parent Adapt

The first few weeks can be trying as your parent’s brain and ears learn to adapt to hearing aids. It may even take many months before they become a part of their existence and, similar to glasses, don’t think twice about their presence. There are a few tried and true techniques that can make this process easier and less frustrating.

  • Begin by wearing the aid a few hours each day and in familiar surroundings. Avoid wearing them in noisy public environments.
  • Gradually build up to wearing them all the time you are awake.
  • Practice focusing on what you want to hear. For instance, if you’re listening to someone, focus on their words. It may take your brain time to differentiate between all the noises and what you are actually listening to.
  • In groups, focus on a single person and pay attention to their lips.
  • Practice by active listening when watching TV.
  • Don’t get frustrated. Like any new activity, this takes time to become comfortable with but it is well worth the effort.

Hiring an Elder Care Provider

If your loved one’s hearing loss or other physical ailments are keeping them from performing the everyday activities of living, consider obtaining the services of an elder care provider. They can assist with the daily tasks, provide transportation, and practice communication and active listening with your parent. Most importantly, they can provide the companionship so important to people as they navigate through the changes that aging brings.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in New York, NY, contact Star One Home Care and Medical Staffing at 718-733-2222 or 914-362-0899. Call today!

Resources

Patricia Coffie, RN, BSN, MFA

Director of Client Services at Star One Home Care


Patricia Coffie, RN, BSN, MFA is Director of Client Services & Director of Phoenix Nurse Aide Training Center. Before assuming the post in 2012, Patricia was the Director or Nursing & Service Delivery at WRC for 3 years where she was the strategic lead for nursing and services to members.


Patricia started her nursing career 19 years ago at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and research institution in New York City, and since then has gained experience in Adult Intensive Care Units (ICU) , Pediatric Care (PICU ), Operating Room (OR) , mental health and community settings. She later moved into director of nursing roles, where she obtained extensive experience in leading and developing the nursing profession. She also pioneered good partnership working with other health care organizations, as well as social services, and the wider community.

Latest posts by Patricia Coffie, RN, BSN, MFA

Caring for a Parent with Vision Loss - July 25, 2017

Living with Huntington’s Disease - June 29, 2017

The Risks and Rehabilitation of a Stroke - June 22, 2017

Elderly Woman Staring at the Window — New York — Star One Home Care

What Can Your Loved One’s Home Tell You about Her Needs?

By Admin • March 9, 2022
Your elderly loved one might not always be as open and honest with you about her need for help as you would like for her to be. In that case, you might need to go on a bit of a clue hunt around her house.
Elderly Woman and Her Son — New York — Star One Home Care

How Can You Balance Caregiving with All of Your Other Responsibilities?

By Admin • March 9, 2022
In today’s society, you have way more on your plate than just caring for your elderly loved one. But when all of those responsibilities are just as important as the other ones, finding a balance might feel impossible to you. Start out by making a plan.
Healthy Foods — New York — Star One Home Care

Is Your Parent at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?

By Admin • March 9, 2022
Medical professionals believe that one out of every four people with diabetes don’t even know they have the disease. That amounts to around 7 million Americans who are completely unaware that they’re living with a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is the most likely form of diabetes to strike older people, but it sometimes has no symptoms, which is why so many people don’t know they have it. So, could your elderly parent be at risk for Type 2 diabetes?
Volunteer Organizations — New York — Star One Home Care

Volunteer Organizations for you and your Aging Parent

By Admin • March 9, 2022
As your parent becomes older and requires more assistance in order to age in their home, don’t feel like you have to provide all the support they need without any assistance. Being a primary family caregiver is a great source of inspiration and will provide wonderful memories for both you and your parent, but it can also be demanding and challenging. Making sure that your schedule leaves two days a week for you to partake in those activities that bring you great joy helps you remain refreshed and revitalized and lead a balanced life as you help your parent lead one as well.
Dog — New York — Star One Home Care

Keeping Pets Safe Outside in the Spring

By Admin • March 8, 2022
Having a pet is a wonderful way to enhance your aging parent’s life and improve their health and well-being. With as much benefit as they can bring your aging loved one, it is easy to recognize why your loved one would want to put great effort into caring for their pet properly. A vital element of this is making sure that their pet remains safe. During the springtime months, your parent’s pet is likely to venture outside with them to get fresh air and sunlight. While this is healthy and beneficial for both of them, it can also pose a variety of serious risks that it is important to address.
Talk Dad — New York — Star One Home Care

Tips for Talking to Dad About Home Care

By Admin • March 8, 2022
As an adult, it’s hard to admit you need help. Your dad’s pride is going to get in the way of admitting that he’s lonely or that he simply can’t do the same things he used to. There are gentle ways to get your dad to admit he needs home care. Here are a few of the best ways to discuss the needs for home care.
Elderly Woman And Man — New York — Star One Home Care

Ensuring Your Senior’s Eyes are Protected from the Sun

By Admin • March 8, 2022
With the weather getting warmer and the days getting longer, many people are thinking about heading outside to enjoy some fresh air and activities. As a family caregiver this is a wonderful time for you to get your senior loved one more active and change up their routine after what might have been a long winter spent mostly indoors. When you are planning these activities, it is important that you take the time to make sure that your parent is properly protected. You likely already know the dangers that the sun poses to their skin and the importance of making sure that they wear the proper sunscreen on their skin when they are out of the house. It is vital, however, that you do not overlook the importance of protecting their eyes as well.
Caregiving Elderly Woman — New York — Star One Home Care

What Can You Do about a Loved One Who Is Less than Happy about Having a Caregiver?

By Admin • March 8, 2022
Some elderly loved ones are less happy about needing some extra help than you thought they would be. When all you want to do is help your loved one, but you’re getting a lot of negativity back, it can be difficult to function.
Bathroom — New York — Star One Home Care

5 Bathroom Upgrades for Aging Loved Ones

By Admin • March 8, 2022
Houses need to change to fit whatever phase of life its occupants are in. Families with young children need their home to meet certain safety requirements, while empty nesters may desire their space arranged differently. With elderly care, there are parts of the home that may need remodeling to provide the best use. Few rooms need more remodeling for aging home owners than the bathroom. Physical limitations, age-related conditions, and more can turn a bathroom into a serious of obstacles that prevent the elderly from taking care of themselves.
Kitchen — New York — Star One Home Care

Signs in Your Parent’s Kitchen That They Might be Suffering from Alzheimer’s

By Admin • March 8, 2022
If you are like most family caregivers, one of the issues that you are most concerned about in your care journey is the possibility that your elderly parent will develop Alzheimer’s disease. Not being vigilant about this possibility or not taking the steps to be aware of it, however, puts your aging loved one at greater risk. It is vital that you be aware of your parent’s health and well-being, and strive to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease so that together you can make the decisions about their care and management that are right for them. One of the simplest ways to possibly detect the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is to evaluate their home. This can help you to identify behaviors or issues that might indicate that they are dealing with a decline in their cognitive functioning. This allows you to bring them in for the proper diagnosis and get on the course of management and treatment that is most appropriate for their particular needs.
More Posts