Page 49 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2025 - Online Magazine

2023-24 SENIOR RESOURCES SENIOR RESOURCES

HEARING LOSS CONFUSED WITH DEMENTIA

by Gayle Willson

Conversing over morning coffee, a loving wife we know commented that women have selective vision, and
men have selective hearing. Her husband’s response: “Did you say something?”

e see this scenario in our offices often. In many We welcome you to come see us and let us help
cases, it is inattention, but frequently, it is a you through the process!
Wcase of hearing loss. Everyone should know
the condition of their own hearing health. It can be At GRAND HEARING we offer a FREE hearing screening
evaluated with a simple screening in your Primary Care and FREE ear canal inspections in both South Plains
offices. We also honor your Medicare Supplement
Physicians office, or you can come by our office, and we
2 YEARS IN A ROW can do a more in-depth screening as a baseline, and then insurances that have hearing benefits. Additionally, we
offer Newborn Hearing Screening Services.
annually, rescreen to see if you have had any changes.
Many times, people don’t realize that physical changes
can affect hearing. Rescreening is necessary if you have We have a staff at Grand Hearing Center who has been
had radiation, chemotherapy, diabetes, or even strong serving the South Plains area for 49 years. We are willing
antibiotics. If there has been trauma to your ears (gunshot, to work with you to achieve the best possible solution.
fireworks, loud music), it is imperative that immediate Gayle Willson, Board Certified in the Hearing Instrument
care be taken to prevent hearing loss. In our office, we also Sciences (BC-HIS), and Blair Willson are both licensed
inquire about life history and experiences to determine hearing specialists. We are proud of the “Wampler
why you might have a deficit in your hearing and Legacy”!
understanding, or the onset of “selective“ hearing.
Many recent news articles have reported the connection
of dementia with hearing loss. People with uncorrected
hearing loss experience a 30-40% faster decline in
cognitive abilities compared to peers without hearing
loss. Often, a person is diagnosed with onset of dementia
when they can’t hear but are exhibiting the same
symptoms as if they were in cognitive decline. The two
can be confused because they both can be characterized
by loneliness and isolation. Individuals who are socially
isolated have a greater risk of cognitive decline. Those
who have good hearing (or have their hearing corrected)
tend to be healthier and have a reduced risk of dementia
development.

We are not saying that all dementia can be avoided with
the use of hearing aids, but we are saying the research
shows that having your hearing loss addressed has shown
in the research models to lower the odds.

Back to the couple at the table: They have shared years of
common interest, working together, playing together, and
trusting the Lord. Because the wife knows her husband’s
hearing loss is real (not selective), she is kind enough to
Carillon achieved U.S. News & World Report’s pay attention, to communicate without shouting, speaking
highest rating in three categories! clearly and sometimes rephrasing her comments,
staying aware of background noise that can impair
understanding, and confirming details. Their love story
will continue to deepen.
1717 Norfolk Avenue
Lubbock, Texas 79416
806-705-5433 Lubbock Senior Link 49
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