Hear it Loud and Clear

Written By BonumCare

The Color of Sound

©2023 BonumCare LLC

One in three individuals over the age of 60 have hearing loss according to the American Academy of Audiology. This topic hits close to home as my aunt suffers from hearing loss, and going out has become a stressor rather than something fun. 

Take the case of dining out, which she used to enjoy. Eating at restaurants can be a very social experience that allows for human connections beyond our immediate companions. I remember the times when conversations are struck with an adjacent table over an entrée or winning news of a local sports team. However, that kind of social spontaneity is no longer feasible for her. I wonder what it is like to experience life catching only parts of larger conversations and having to work hard to decipher what is being said. Anyway… 

Due to her advanced age and health condition, hearing aids are her best option over cochlear implants and experimental therapies. There are two main categories of hearing aids.

  • Behind-the-Ear (BTE) where the hearing aid is worn behind the ear and can have a receiver that reaches into the ear canal:

  • In-the-Canal (ITC) hearing aid fits inside the ear canal and is most appropriate for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss:

They are expensive and usually have a warranty of between one to three years only, but some provide financing. Here are a few more money saving tips:

  • Wait for the periodic discounts and sales;

  • New models come out frequently, so you may consider going for the previous model unless the functionalities went through a major upgrade;

  • Currently, Medicare covers diagnostic evaluations if they are ordered by a physician for the purpose of developing a treatment plan, but some Medicare Advantage plans cover hearing aids and exams;

    • LEGISLATIVE WATCH The Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act of 2023 was introduced in the House as H.R.244 to “amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion of Medicare coverage for hearing aids and examinations therefor, and for other purposes.” You may ask your Representative at https://www.house.gov/representatives about its status and request support for its passage;

  • Some states cover the costs of hearing aids for Medicaid recipients: https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/financial-assistance/medicaid;

  • Save your receipts: hearing aids are deductible if your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income;

  • Nonprofit organizations such as the Hearing Charities of America may provide used hearing aids to low-income individuals under their Hearing Aid Project.

My aunt chose a pair of in-the-canal hearing aids that are water resistant and discreet. Still, she rarely wears them. **Is there a delay in reception? No one wants to join a conversation 20 seconds late. **Is the sound quality suboptimal? **Do they work well for tonal languages? **Is the stigma associated with hearing aids simply too great to overcome?

When members of Gen Z proudly don their AirPods, she needs to FLAUNT her acoustically fancy hearing aids. Let’s give hearing aids a WOW factor and make them our ears’ equivalent of sunglasses. It is important for her to remove the mental block because it appears that she makes up stories to round out what she cannot hear. My wish is for her to want to show them off when going out, and have the option to take them off at home. I long for the day when homes are as accessible for the hard-of-hearing as they are for those with mobility challenges.

Imagine a space that is inclusively designed, aesthetically appealing, and inexpensive to build. Erika Shakespeare, CCC-A, wrote that “…hearing loss affects how quickly you process the sound you’re hearing… Combined with reverberation, where the sound is bouncing around, it causes a delay in temporal processing, making translation additionally complex.” Consequently, some audiologists have offered these solutions for the home:

  • Install carpets;

  • Use curtains;

  • Add (padded) furniture;

  • Install acoustic panels on walls and ceilings;

  • Add strobes lights for alarms;

  • If the television has speakers on the back, use a soundbar to help point sound in the right direction;

  • Use closed captioning;

  • Arrange the room so those who are hard-of-hearing are able to read lips or use sign language.

Knowing what to do for one’s home is just one part of it. How about being able to afford them? Rebuilding Together may provide low-income homeowners with carpeting or paneling free of charge. Check with a local affiliate at http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/find-your-local-affiliate.

One can also consider screen mirroring, which allows the content of a smartphone – such as speech-to-text messages – to be viewed on a larger screen like computers or TV. 

That is now.

In the future, those with severe hearing loss may opt for gene therapy, but those with milder loss may have these options:

  • Hearing aids that track only the voices of whom the wearer cares to hear. Alexa Voice Profiles can already recognize multiple voices, so hearing aids should be able to track only the voices of friends and select individuals in a noisy environment. Granted, it will be hurtful to be permanently removed as a voice that another chooses to listen to, but not more so than being “unfriended” on social media.

And while at home:

  • Activate the walls. I wonder if it is possible to add a 3D-printed layer on walls that absorbs only certain frequencies? In that case, a home can be tailored to the hearing profile of the inhabitant and promote their well-being.

  • Use the technology behind voice assistants to project the spoken words onto any surface of choice in the room where the hard-of-hearing individual is located.

The home is a private space that should reflect and support its inhabitants’ needs, and that allows them to thrive in spite of physical limitations. It is a refuge for many of us, yet the space seems under-utilized.

BonumCare https://bonumcare.com
Previous

Conversation Buddy
Next

Interactions