094 – Interview: Hearing Loss in Aging: Why It Matters & Getting Evaluated

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks about how we can help older adults address hearing loss with Meg Wallhagen, PhD, Professor of Gerontological Nursing at UCSF’s School of Nursing. She is a nationally recognized expert on hearing loss and has been on the board of the Hearing Loss Association of America since 2010. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series on hearing loss. They discuss:

• Why hearing loss in aging usually causes distortion of sounds, and how that affects understanding speech (and grandchildren)
• Why it usually doesn’t help to speak more loudly to someone with hearing loss
• How hearing loss affects the health, wellbeing, and social relationships of older adults
• Why older people often don’t want to address hearing loss
• The problem of healthcare professionals overlooking hearing loss
• How hearing loss affects brain function
• Why it can become harder to successfully address hearing loss once it’s severe
• How hearing loss should be evaluated and what happens during a hearing test
• Why poor Medicare coverage of hearing loss often creates barriers to care
• How Professor Wallhagen’s brochure can help older adults agree to address hearing loss

Related episode: 

095 – Interview: Hearing Aids & Other Hearing Loss Treatment Options

Related Resources:

• Professor Wallhagen’s Brochure (for people affected by hearing loss):
  • Hearing Helps Us Stay Connected to Others
• UCSF Audiology:The Speech Banana
• Medicare.gov: Hearing & balance exams & hearing aids
• National Academies: Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability
• Hearing Loss Association of America’s: Hearing Loss Basics
• Better Health While Aging:
  • 4 Key Things to Know About Age-Related Hearing Loss
• Professor Wallhagen’s Research:
  • Hearing Loss Education for Older Adults in Primary Care Clinics: Benefits of a Concise Educational Brochure
  • The Stigma of Hearing Loss
  • Hearing impairment: significant but underassessed in primary care settings
  • Impact of Self-Assessed Hearing Loss on a Spouse: A Longitudinal Analysis of Couples

Transcript: Click here.
Note from Dr. K: We don’t have the funds to transcribe most podcast episodes, but we decided to transcribe Professor Wallhagen’s episodes, to make them more accessible to anyone experiencing hearing loss.