6 Signs Your Aging Parent Might Have Hearing Loss

There are many effective ways of managing hearing loss, ranging from implanted devices to external hearing aids. However, seniors cannot get all the benefits of these treatments unless they’re diagnosed with hearing loss in the first place, and it can be surprisingly difficult to recognize. You need to carefully keep an eye out for these signs of hearing loss in your aging loved one. 

1. Your Parent Is More Withdrawn

Some seniors recognize they have difficulty hearing people around them talk, but they may not want to admit it. In these cases, a normally friendly and chatty senior may become quiet and shy. You may notice your loved one skips social activities or tries to avoid having long conversations with other people. 

There are a variety of age-related health conditions that can make it more challenging for seniors to live independently. However, many of the challenges they face can be easier to address if their families opt for professional care. You can rely on expertly trained caregivers to keep your loved one safe and comfortable while aging in place.

2. The Volume on Everything Is Turned Up

Do you walk into your loved one’s home and notice the television, radio, or computer is turned up to an alarmingly loud volume? This is a classic sign of hearing loss. As seniors lose their hearing, they may compensate by turning the volume up higher on all their devices. It might seem uncomfortably loud to you, while your parent thinks it’s entirely normal. 

3. Your Loved One Seems to Yell a Lot

When seniors have hearing loss, they may not be able to hear their own voices properly, which can make it difficult to regulate their tones. When they think they’re talking at an appropriate level, those around them may feel like they’re being yelled at.

4. Your Parent Gets Dizzy Frequently

In some cases, hearing loss can cause other physical symptoms. The delicate structures in the ear also regulate balance, so damage to them can make a person feel dizzy. Your parent might feel a little woozy or dizzy when standing perfectly still, lying in bed, or walking around. 

Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality home care. Columbia families trust Assisting Hands Home Care to help their elderly loved ones age in place safely and comfortably.

5. It’s Difficult for Your Loved One to Hear Women & Children

In most cases of age-related hearing loss, the ability to hear high frequencies fades before the ability to hear lower frequencies, which can cause a senior to complain that the children or women in his or her life are constantly mumbling. Seniors may think their hearing is fine because they can still hear low pitches, but an inability to hear high pitches is a sign of hearing loss. 

6. Noisy Backgrounds Make It Difficult to Hear

Many seniors say their hearing is perfectly fine and they just have difficulty hearing because the atmosphere in a restaurant is too loud or there are too many people talking at once. However, not being able to hear in a noisy area could be a sign of hearing loss. As hearing loss dulls sounds, seniors may find it particularly challenging to understand others when there’s a lot of noise happening at once. 

Hearing loss and other age-related conditions could make it challenging for your loved one to live alone at home safely. Every senior has different needs when aging in place. Some simply need occasional assistance with household chores, while others may be managing a serious illness and require more extensive in-home care. Columbia seniors can count on Assisting Hands Home Care to provide the in-home care they need and deserve. If your loved one needs professional care, Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help. To hire a compassionate, dedicated caregiver, call us at 443-233-1245 today.