Whether the harm has already been done or whether treating hearing loss is slow or stop mental decline is the main question that scientists have been pondering. Ultimately, there is some evidence that supports the former right now.
Reading treatment reduced the rate of mental decline in patients at risk of it by 48 % over three decades, according to the ACHIEVE study, which was led by Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University and released in the Lancet in July 2023. This gives us hope that treating hearing loss could lessen the burden of dementia on communities, caretakers, and the medical system.
GETTING Elders TO Get HELP IS A CHALLENGE
Despite this good news, getting older people to receive hearing loss treatment is one of Singapore’s biggest problems. It takes time to alter attitudes toward managing hearing loss, which have long been accepted as a regular part of aging that we should really accept.
Some seniors worry about expenses and perhaps burdening their children who will grow up in sandwiches. While getting cochlear implants, a surgically implanted electronic device, can cost S$ 30, 000 to S$ 60 000, hearing aids can range in price from$ 800( US$ 586 ) to$ 8, 000 per piece. Additionally, they are unsure of where and how to find receiving services.
These are all legitimate worries that have been taken into account. Through community-based and smart hearing clinics, exposure to hearing services has increased over the past ten years. Hearing aids are inexpensive thanks to the means-tested state funding that is available. Cochlear implants are also available because they are subsidized in public hospitals and personally covered by a number of insurance providers.
Another frequent concern is that hearing aids are loud and that they don’t work. This is a common misunderstanding that results from attempting low-quality reading devices and failing to have them properly fitted by an experienced expert.