Does hearing loss increase loneliness?
Social isolation: According to the National Institute on Aging, this occurs when someone doesn't have much social connection. This is measurable – that is, you can calculate how many social interactions a person has in a day, as well as other factors that indicate isolation.
Loneliness: Unlike quantifiable social isolation, loneliness is a feeling. You will feel lonely in the crowd. Or, you prefer to be alone and have little social interaction. Think of loneliness as the gap between the number and type of connections you want to have and what you're actually experiencing.
The obvious: hearing loss makes social isolation more prevalent, which in turn leads to loneliness.
Hearing aids make it easier to stay socially connected and hobbies.
According to research, while social circles may naturally shrink as we age, it is more pronounced for older adults with hearing impairments.
Lack of face-to-face contact can make social isolation and loneliness worse for people with hearing loss.
How to alleviate loneliness.
If hearing loss increases feelings of isolation and loneliness, improving someone's hearing skills has the potential to alleviate these problems.
Hearing aids are part of the solution.
Hearing aids are a very important strategy to address hearing loss. But hearing aids are not the solution;They are only part of the solution.
Proper consultation by an audiologist plays an important role in helping people hear better. This includes hearing**. The audiologist may suggest some common-sense but meaningful adjustments, such as:
Ask people to face you when they speak.
Ask people to take turns when talking to you.
If someone in the room is talking to you, mute the TV.
Leverage the FM DM system.
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