Four Household Changes to Consider if Your Senior Has Hearing Trouble

By Jamie Shapiro | December 8, 2020 | Comments Off on Four Household Changes to Consider if Your Senior Has Hearing Trouble

Difficulty hearing complicates a lot of issues for your senior, especially at home. There are some things that she can change or do differently, though, that make the whole thing easier for her.

Consider Rearranging the Furniture

Senior Care Deerfield, IL: Seniors and Hearing Trouble

Your senior might have had her furniture set up in a certain way for years, but does that setup work with her current needs? It might be time to try a few different arrangements that allow people seated in the same room together to see each other’s face and lips when they talk. Some furniture and some rooms may not allow for this, but if you can accommodate your senior’s hearing needs like this, it can be really helpful.

Soft Furnishings Help to Reduce Echoing

Sometimes it’s not the absence of noise but the overabundance of it that causes trouble for people with hearing issues. Hard floors and open areas often echo, and that can create more problems for your senior’s hearing than anyone realizes. Take a look at the area and see if there is anything that you can add or change that helps to reduce echoing. Little things like adding an area rug or even adding a large tapestry or blanket wall hanging can do a lot to reduce those echoes.

Troubleshoot TV Viewing

Is your elderly family member turning the television up to record high levels? That might be one of your first clues that she was indeed experiencing hearing issues, but it also has a point of diminishing returns. Turning the TV up too loud actually distorts the sounds even more and makes it more difficult to make out what’s being said. Using other tools, like close captioning, might be a good idea to help your senior watch her favorite programs without causing more frustration.

Talk to Her Doctor and Her Hearing Specialist about Other Ideas

If your elderly family member visits an audiologist, especially if she wears hearing aids, then talk to her hearing specialist about what else you might consider adjusting or changing at home for your senior. Her doctor may have ideas, too. There’s more about your senior’s environment that affects how she’s able to hear and bring in audio information that might be adjustable.

Senior care providers might be a good idea, too. They can help with tasks that have become more difficult or more frustrating because of your senior’s hearing issues. They can also find ways to help her to be more comfortable at home, even if she’s having a tough time hearing.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care in Deerfield, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas. 

Jamie Shapiro
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