In today’s time, there is a need for new prevention, assessment, and intervention strategies for adults experiencing hearing loss accompanied by, or at-risk for, dementia (Pichora-Fuller, 2015). Research has found that individuals with hearing loss are at risk for developing dementia, and dementia is also more prevalent in individuals with dementia. Patients with dementia are recognized at different stages, and the Pichora-Fuller questions the possibility of earlier and better health care slowing the progression of, or even completely deterring, dementia. Often, those with high cognitive abilities are involved in social activities, some type of physical activities, may be a musician, or possess good cognitive skills, such as being bilingual. However, individuals that experience poor hearing often are hindered when it comes to participating in such activities, which is thought to be one significant link between dementia and hearing loss. When assessing the connection between hearing loss and cognitive impairment, two main …show more content…
The most common form of hearing rehabilitation is hearing aids. The issue arises when the oldest old adults do not have access to hearing aids, which could be due to financial issues or because they are unable to go to an audiologist’s clinic or office. Future research is needed in the areas of prevention, assessment, and intervention. A greatly structured research project is needed for determining how to prevent or slow dementia. For assessment, establishing multi-disciplinary teams willing to share their knowledge of cognition and hearing is critical. More research is needed for intervention to determine the burden that is placed on a caregiver, as well as how intervention could assist caregivers faced with taking care of an oldest old patient with a hearing loss and dementia.
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The interventions used should aim to slower those cognitive, behavioral and functional symptoms of Alzheimer so that we can reduce the costs on social care, rate of hospitalization and other direct, indirect and intangible costs. The treatments provided should also focus on the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) and Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) gained after patients undergo treatments so that the effectiveness of certain intervention can be identified and
The condition Colin is likely to be suffering from is Presbycusis. Presbycusis is an age-related hearing loss, it is a hearing disorder that can be caused by a variety of different factors. It is usually a sensorineural hearing disorder but can be a conductive hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss is when it is caused by problems with the ear canal, ear drum, middle ear and the malleus, uncus and stapes this can result in reduced function of the tympanic membrane or reduced function of auditory ossicles. Most commonly it is as a result of changes within the inner ear, middle ear or the nerve pathways to the brain. The cochlea is lined with tiny hair cells; these hairs convert sound vibrations into electrical signals which are received at the brain by a nerve. These cells can become damaged over time this means electrical signals cannot be transmitted as effectively so hearing becomes affected. Long-term exposure to loud noises such as that from traffic and loud equipment which Colin would have been exposed to working as a mechanic can also be a cause of
Kontorinins (2009) wrote that nonorganic hearing loss children display a certain demeanor during the testing procedure, they exaggerate their movements to highlight increased difficulty in hearing. Holenweg and Kompis (2010) state that children who are diagnosed with NOHL typically have some knowledge of hearing loss, like a close family member has hearing loss, therefore it is a good idea to check family history sections of the case histories. Another reason case history is crucial is because Schmidt, Zehnhoff-Dinnesen, Matulat, Knief, Rosslau and Deuster (2013) found that learning disabilities are one of the most common characteristics in children with nonorganic hearing loss. They also found that in cases where nonorganic hearing loss is present, there is also history of intellectual impairments, low IQ scores, speech and language disorders, school problems and problems in the household, these are all considered characteristics of NOHL children (Schmidt et al., 2013).
Nearly 135 million people worldwide will be impacted by dementia by 2050 (Robinson, Tang, Taylor,. 2015). Dementia is not a disease, it is an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with the decline in memory and thinking skills. Dementia is a progressive illness that results in the loss of one’s sense of self (Burns, Byrne, Ballard, Holmes, 2002). The two most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular dementia. Dementia is progressive and people with dementia experience complications with short-term memory, keeping track of personal items, paying bills, taking care of themselves and daily tasks (Haigh, Mytton, 2016). Due to the rising number of individuals developing dementia, it is causing major challenges in the healthcare systems and society (Angermeter, Luck, Then, Riedel-Heller, 2016). Utilizing psychotropic medications are often ineffective or harmful to the individual, therefore, many patients decide to utilize sensory therapy as a form of treatment instead (Livingston, Kelly olmes, et al., 2014). Caregivers of individuals with dementia can also experience health consequences related to caregiving at the end of life. Spousal caregivers are 40.5% higher odds of experiencing frailty as a result of caregiving (Carr, Dassel, 2017). Dementia does not only affect the individual, it affects those around them, society, and the healthcare system.
More than 5 million Americans currently have dementia in the United States and this number is projected to rise to between 8 and 13 million by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Dementia is known to become more prevalent with age, increasing from 5 to 10 percent in people over 65 years of age to almost one half of people over the age of 85 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Although family members provide the majority of care for people with dementia, increasing needs over time often lead to placement in a long-term care setting. Dementia is the most common reason for entry into long-term care facilities (Zimmerman, 2013) and nearly 90% of persons with dementia will have at least one stay at a nursing home in their lifetime (Grunier, 2007).
The purpose of this paper is to consider and appropriately determine the undeviating correlation of hearing loss to dementia. Hearing loss is a prevalent, multifaceted issue that many individuals struggle with, especially the elderly population. Furthermore, one of the many negative consequences that these individual’s battle with is the inevitable cognitive decline that accompanies hearing loss. Many studies and clinical trials give rise to awareness and implication of cognitive decline linked to a progressive hearing loss. Such fundamental quantitative data provides sufficient evidence to validate the increasing correspondence of dementia and hearing loss as well as provide critical knowledge to the public eye.
An estimated 47.5 million people suffer from dementia. Every 4 seconds one new case of dementia is diagnosed. Dementia is a term that describes certain symptoms such as impairment to memory, communication and thinking. It is a group of symptoms and not just one illness. Even though one‘s chance of getting dementia increase with age, it is not a part of aging. Dementia is usually diagnosed after a series of assessments that includes a physical evaluation, memory tests, imaging studies and blood work. It affects three aspects of one’s mental function, cognitive dysfunction (Problems with memory, language, thinking and problem solving), psychiatric behavior (changes in personality, emotional control, social behavior and delusions) and difficulties with daily living activities (driving, shopping, eating and dressing). “The median survival time in women is 4.6 years and in men 4.1 years” (Warren, 2016).
Once a senior has a hearing loss identified, there are a number of different treatment options. From hearing aids and assistive devices to surgery, most hearing problems can be fixed or moderated. While your senior loved one may initially feel self-conscious or embarrassed about their hearing issue, hearing aid, or assistive device, senior care personnel can slowly, lovingly, and compassionately help them through the
We all take the power of hearing for granted.Some people are blessed to be able to hear and some are unfortunately not able to hear. Wouldn’t you miss conversations between you and other people, sales at the mall, or hearing that one album that you love. We have to take care of ourselves so we can keep our hearing ability or we will never be able to hear again.
Dementia is a disease that does not discriminate against gender, race, or nationality. It affects individuals, their families, and caregivers each day by testing their strength and patience. Within the category of dementia there is a subtype called Multi-Infarct Dementia. MID is a disease that affects around 30% of individuals over the age of sixty-five (Al-Adawi, 2014). The individuals with MID have damage to their brain which causes many different symptoms to occur. When the symptoms are noticed, the specific type of dementia may be hard to diagnose, and the treatments cannot reverse brain damage. As MID progresses, the individual’s cognitive functions deteriorate, so the care and patience these individuals once shared with others will have
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the cochlea or the auditory nerve pathway leading from the cochlea to the brain. If a sensorineural hearing loss is present it would not be treated with a hearing aid because most of the time the electro mechanical energy that is to be sent to the brain is distorted or not sent at all (Heward, 372-373). A person with sensorineural hearing loss would rely on auditory implants to help them communicate with a hearing person. An auditory implant does not restore normal hearing; rather it helps the user of the implant sense the sound that they are not able to hear. There are four main types of auditory implants: bone anchored hearing aid, cochlear implants, auditory brain stem implant,
Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their
Out of the rapidly inclining population in the world, there are people who develop dementia every 66 seconds(“2016 Alzheimer’s Disease”). Being such a common disease in the elderly, there are 47.5 million people in the world with this disease(“2016 Alzheimer’s Disease”). Once families start to realize that their parents and grandparents have developed this, they start to wonder if they are able to live on their own. Within a few months, a decision is made whether if it is best for them to be put into a nursing home. Most often, those with dementia do happen to end up in nursing homes. Many wonder if being put into a nursing home will actually cause their dementia and their ability to live on their own to worsen. With the effects of activities, this could change. Activities help slow the deterioration of the brain(Smith). The activities and exercises performed by nursing homes to help improve the overall cognitive development in dementia patients. Nursing homes should induct purposeful daily activities to improve cognitive, social, and psychological development in dementia care
Hearing loss is the most common physical disability in the whole wide world. In the United States alone, about 28 million people have some level of hearing impairment that interferes with their ability to understand normal speech and participate in conversations. Another 2 million cannot hear at all.
converts sound waves in the air, to nerve impulses which are sent to the brain,