Source: NPR
Hearing loss among seniors increasingly leads to isolation as it becomes harder to attend community activities if they can’t hear, interact with others, or have conversations.
According to one Dutch study, one in every 5 people struggles with hearing loss and with every decibel drop in hearing ability in a senior, the odds of isolation and loneliness increase. What’s more concerning is that this isolation can lead to other health problems, like depression and dementia.
NPR reports that hearing loss increases the risk of dementia by nearly 50 percent and depression by 40 percent. Though hearing loss has major implications for an elderly person’s health, it is still treated as a normal part of aging and is not covered by medicaid.
Read Full Story: NPR