Hearing Loss
Hearing loss should be taken seriously and always investigated further. It is important to not write off your hearing loss as a regular sign of aging. In fact, not treating your hearing loss can lead to costly outcomes. Even so, it is approximated that over 75,000 patients in the United States do not address their hearing loss related issues.
The impacts of hearing loss left untreated, can result in costly outcomes for many families. According to a recent study, approx. 45% of patients that suffer from hearing loss but did not address the issue, also incurred a higher overall health bill over a span of 10 years. Patients were shown to have spent over $20,000 more on average than those managing their hearing loss. Just as those left untreated faced higher costs they also faced extended hospital times.
Nicholas Reed, a researcher at Johns Hopkins’ Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health adds that untreated hearing loss is also more likely to lead to other health complications. For example, it was found that over a 10 year span, patients with untreated hearing loss were at 50% more risk for developing Dementia, 40% more at risk for depression, and 30% greater risk for falls. At the age of 70 over two thirds of seniors suffer from hearing loss and hearing loss will impacts their everyday life. Hearing loss can also result in a multitude of negative emotions such as; anger, loneliness, and frustration from not being able to hear. Hearing loss may also be responsible for cognitive declines, withdrawals from social life, an overall decrease in safety, and general poor health.
Treatment
When left unaddressed, hearing loss can pose many risks to seniors. As it negatively impact physical effects on the body as well as emotional health. . The best solution is to find a healthcare professional who can help you research and seek treatment to help you or your loved on back on track. If you or someone you love is interested in Long Term Care or Long Term Care Insurance be sure to visit: LTC TREE for more information.