These people prove you are never too old for hearing aids

Contributed by Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing
Originally posted on February 7, 2022; Republished with permission on June 22, 2022

If you think you or a loved one is too old for hearing aids or cochlear implants, think again. At Healthy Hearing, we see time and again how hearing care can transform the lives of people in their 80s, 90s and beyond.

Hearing aids can be transformative for people in their 80s and beyond.

'Talkative and smiling again'

"It was fabulous to see him talkative and smiling again," shared writer Susan Marque about her dad's transformation after getting hearings aids when he was 89. During a day spent together, Susan was amazed how he chatted with everyone, "a security guard at the gallery, librarians, store clerks, and even our Lyft driver on the way home."

And it's not just hearing aids that are an option. For example, 102-year-old veteran Irvin Poff, who recently shared his inspiring cochlear implant story with us. "I know it’s unusual for someone my age to have a cochlear implant just as it’s unusual for someone to live to be my age," he said.

But these two gentleman are by no means the only "senior-seniors" we've come across benefiting from proper hearing care. In our directory of hearing care clinics, patients and caretakers frequently leave positive reviews of not just their provider, but also their loved one's new hearing aids, not realizing how much they had been missing out on. Let's take a look at a few of our favorites:

90-year-old mom hears 'the birds chirping for the first time in a long time'

Sometimes it's the little details that make life beautiful, like hearing the leaves rustling or the birds singing—both of which are sounds that are often the first to disappear when age-related hearing loss sets in. The good news? Many people with hearing loss are pleased to find that hearing aids help them hear birds again, such as this review of Lakeside Audiology in New York:

• "I came with my 90-year-old mom for an exam. Everyone was wonderful and took the time to explain the results and she was able to leave with hearing aids. I'm amazed at all she was missing out on. She heard birds chirping for the first time in a long time."

89-year-old woman with Alzheimer's talks on phone again

Hearing loss can be isolating, especially for people with cognitive problems. Fortunately, as one man who reviewed Hearing Solutions of Indiana reported, new hearing aids have made it easier for his 89-year-old mother to cope with Alzheimer's disease, allowing her to communicate in new ways:

• "She talks on the phone with her old friends, recognizing their voices. She hadn’t been able to use a phone for years, with her other hearing aids."

100-year-old woman's hearing aids open 'brand new world'

Hearing aid accessories can also make a big difference for older folks. Audiologists and hearing specialists are experts at coming up with solutions for hearing device problems, such as losing hearing aids.

• "I took my 100-year-old mom, Odessa, for a follow-up appointment," reports a woman in a review of Advanced Audiology and Hearing Aids in Louisiana. "She has severe hearing loss and due to her age was losing her hearing aids somewhat frequently. However, little did we know this last loss would be a gain. She could rarely hear with her old pair she purchased. Well, in steps Dr. Frasier...... she recommended a new around the ear type and a clip on so Mom can keep up with them. Mom can now hear EVERYTHING!!!! It has opened up a brand new world for her and her family."

89-year-old mom reconnects during pandemic

Lately, hearing aids are often mentioned as a critical tool to reduce the isolation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, too. As this daughter shared in a review of Choice Hearing Center - New Philadelphia of her 89-year-old mother's hearing aids:

• They are a "boost for her ability to regain her social connections with her sisters...her hearing aids are impacting her ability to maintain contact with her sisters, ages 88, 94, 96, and just shy of 101 years old. We are looking forward to many more years of 'catching up' and laughter as her hearing aids have brought her sisters close again during this terrible pandemic."

96-year-old reports new hearing aids are 'a miracle'

And, finally, what could be more heartwarming than hearing this man's five-star review of HearingLife in Richmond, VA. It's from 2019, but too good not to share again and again.

• "I cannot say enough about the quality of service and attention my 96-year-old father received at a recent visit ... He can hear, he can participate in conversations and can actually hear to talk on a phone! He can even listen to music! He claims it is a miracle!"

Do you or someone you love need hearing aids?

As you can see, age should never be a barrier to getting hearing aids. They not only help people hear better and reconnect with the world, they also are emerging as a key way to provide numerous health benefits such as delaying the onset of dementia, and reducing loneliness and the risk of falls.

Even if your loved one is in a hospital, nursing home or receiving hospice care, hearing well is still a vital human need. You'd never take away your loved one's eyeglasses, so why deny them proper hearing? Search our directory of hearing care providers to find an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist who can get your loved one the care he or she deserves.

Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy Hearing

Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public. Read more about Joy.