015 – Treating Hearing Loss in Alzheimer’s & Dementia

In This Episode:

Geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH, talks with audiologist Dr. Cliff Olson, AuD, about what families should know when trying to treat hearing loss in an older adult with cognitive impairment. They cover:

• Treating hearing loss when there’s dementia
• Can treating hearing loss help cognitive function?
• How audiologists evaluate hearing loss in dementia
• Mild-to-moderate hearing loss: why OTC hearing aids may not be best
• Fitting and adjusting hearing aids in dementia
• Treating severe hearing loss in dementia
• Lyric hearing aids: an easier option for Alzheimer’s
• Adjusting to hearing aids in dementia
• Is it ever too late to treat hearing loss?
• How to think about hearing aid costs
• Lyric hearing aid costs and pros/cons
• How to avoid losing hearing aids
• Alternatives to hearing aids: Pocketalker and TV headphones
• Finding a good hearing care professional for someone with dementia

Related episodes: 

• 180 – Earwax & Hearing Loss in Older Adults
• 179 – Hearing Aids Not Working? An Audiologist Explains What Older Adults Should Know
• 178 – Hearing Loss in Aging (Presbycusis)

Related Resources:

• Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis): What to Know & What to Do
• Doctor Cliff, AuD YouTube Channel
• HearingUp — find hearing care professionals