Senior Caregivers: Tips for Hearing Aid Care

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, a time for us all to reflect on our seniors’ hearing.  Age-related hearing loss. known as presbycusis. is the most common chronic health condition for our seniors. As the population ages, it is expected that there will be  28 million boomers with age-related hearing loss by 2030. Unfortunately, this condition is not curable but only treatable with hearing aids.  Untreated hearing loss can lead to depression and isolation in seniors.

Hearing Aid Care

With so many seniors facing hearing loss, caregivers often have another thing to worry about—hearing aids.  Hearing aids need regular care and maintenance to work properly.  Here are some tips for you to keep your senior’s “ears” in shape:

1. Avoid getting hearing aids wet.  Remember to remove them in the bath or shower and when your senior goes swimming. Take them off in the rain or cover to protect them from moisture.  Don’t store the aids in the bathroom.  If your senior is sweating a lot, dry the area of the ears frequently to reduce moisture exposure.
2. Avoid getting the hearing aids dirty.  Be sure your hands are clean and dry when you take the hearing aids in and out, store them, change the batteries or care for them.
3. Be careful when they are put in or taken out to prevent them from falling on a hard surface to reduce the likelihood that they will get damaged.
4. Regularly remove moisture with a dryer specially designed for hearing aids.  We have many years of experience with the Hearing aids work best when they are in good condition and when they are actually worn.  The gain your senior receives from the use of his hearing aids will benefit him and you every day.

   We look forward to hearing your experiences and tips for caring for and keeping your senior’s hearing aids on.

   More on Dry and Store

   We cannot over-emphasize the importance of keeping hearing aids dry and, as we mentioned, have used the Dry and Store Global II Electric Hearing Aid Dehumidifier TRG-AA” target=”_blank”>Global II model, about which we have heard and read good things, and their Dry-Brik II Desiccant Blocks 6-Pack” target=”_blank”>Dry and Store Dry-Brik Desiccant Block, which absorbs the moisture that hearing aids pick up from usage.  The links are to Amazon.com, where you can get more information and make a purchase if you want.