seniors
BREAKING
Pequannock resident is educating others withhearing loss on the latestin hearing aid technology
WRITTENBYGENE MYERS
THE
SOUNDBARRIER
PHOTOGRAPHEDBYANNE-MARIE CARUSO
When Catherine O ’ Shea moved to her new home at Cedar Crest , asenior living community in Pequannock , the former Hunterdon County resident said she lost alot .
O ’ Shea ’ shearing was damaged in a car crash . She had successfully lobbied to make Hunterdon venues , like her local library , accessible for people like her . But in Morris County , she ’ s had to start all over .
This time she decided to focus on her new home and its 1,800 residents . Some 25 % of people over 60 have impaired hearing , according to the Marylandbased Hearing Loss Association of America . That rises to 50 % of those over the age of 75 . Yetit ’ sall too common to find communities built for seniors that are not accessible to people with hearing loss , advocates say .
The Hearing Loss Association calls the situation “ a public health crisis ” and has implored senior living providers to pay attention .
“ There ’ sagrowing number of people that find themselves with this invisible disability ,” says Meredith Resnick , an association spokesperson . “ It ’ s48million Americans , or roughly one in seven , and the World Health Organization estimates that to grow exponentially in the next few years .”
Lise Hamlin , the Hearing Loss Association ’ s director of public policy , often does presentations at
Catherine O ’ Shea at Cedar Crest in Pequannock .
assisted living facilities and retirement communities ; she likes to tell the story of awoman who wandered into one of her sessions .
During her talk , Hamlin noticed aresident who seemed disconnected from what was going on around her . Hamlin pulled out a “ pocket talker ,” a one-on-one communication device , and handed ittothe woman , who appeared skeptical . Her face brightened as she put on the headset and Hamlin ’ s voice came ringing through . The woman suddenly found herself reconnected to the people around her , Hamlin says .
People tend to “ withdraw ” because “ they don ’ t want to feel dumb ,” Hamlin says .“ They don ’ t want to feel like they can ’ t get involved . They get isolated . They get depressed .”
What ’ smore , people with hearing loss have ahigher risk of developing dementia , according to the National Institutes of Health , which adds the caveat that acausal relationship has yet to be found .
There are anumber of aids available , like Hamlin ’ s “ pocket talker ,” which uses ahandheld microphone and headphones . Other options include
12 HOLIDAY 2023 WAYNE MAGAZINE