094 Hearing Loss in Aging: Why It Matters & Getting Evaluated

Dr. K talks with Meg Wallhagen, PhD, about the importance of addressing hearing loss in aging and how it should be evaluated. They also discuss why it s often hard to get older adults to address hearing loss, and how Professor Wallhagen s educational brochure can help.
The post 094 Interview: Hearing Loss in Aging: Why It Matters & Getting Evaluated appeared first on Better Health While Aging.

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks about how we can help older adults address hearing loss with Meg Wallhagen, PhD, Professor of Gerontological Nursing at UCSF s School of Nursing. She is a nationally recognized expert on hearing loss and has been on the board of the Hearing Loss Association of America since 2010. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series on hearing loss. They discuss:

Why hearing loss in aging usually causes distortion of sounds, and how that affects understanding speech (and grandchildren)
Why it usually doesn t help to speak more loudly to someone with hearing loss
How hearing loss affects the health, wellbeing, and social relationships of older adults
Why older people often don t want to address hearing loss
The problem of healthcare professionals overlooking hearing loss
How hearing loss affects brain function
Why it can become harder to successfully address hearing loss once it s severe
How hearing loss should be evaluated and what happens during a hearing test
Why poor Medicare coverage of hearing loss often creates barriers to care
How Professor Wallhagen s brochure can help older adults agree to address hearing loss

Related episode: 

095 Interview: Hearing Aids & Other Hearing Loss Treatment Options

Related Resources:

Professor Wallhagen s Brochure (for people affected by hearing loss):

Hearing Helps Us Stay Connected to Others

UCSF Audiology:The Speech Banana
Medicare.gov: Hearing & balance exams & hearing aids
National Academies: Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability
Hearing Loss Association of America s: Hearing Loss Basics
Better Health While Aging:

4 Key Things to Know About Age-Related Hearing Loss

Professor Wallhagen s Research:

Hearing Loss Education for Older Adults in Primary Care Clinics: Benefits of a Concise Educational Brochure
The Stigma of Hearing Loss
Hearing impairment: significant but underassessed in primary care settings
Impact of Self-Assessed Hearing Loss on a Spouse: A Longitudinal Analysis of Couples

Transcript: Click here.

Note from Dr. K: We don’t have the funds to transcribe most podcast episodes, but we decided to transcribe Professor Wallhagen’s episodes, to make them more accessible to anyone experiencing hearing loss.

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The post 094 Interview: Hearing Loss in Aging: Why It Matters & Getting Evaluated appeared first on Better Health While Aging.