n a short month, heard lots about caregiving and hearing. You have 'conversed' with an older person who cannot hear well without hearing aids but owns an expensive pair which are highly adjustable. But they don't put them in, or lost one of them and not replaced it, even though the VA will pay for it. These individuals may ask you a question, but they don’t wait for an answer they can’t hear well. And so they go on – talking about themselves and assuming that’s fine at your end of the 'dialogue' They have families who become irritated with them; they spend a great deal of time alone. Then one day, they become part of an equation – those with hearing loss are at greater risk of developing dementia. Sigh. Here are four blog posts from June:
The hearing aid industry offers pricey hearing aids for people with ‘defined’ hearing loss. The FDA wants you to understand that it regulates hearing aids – which it defines as helping the medical condition of hearing loss. The FDA then observes “sound amplifiers for consumers with no hearing loss who want to make environmental sounds louder for recreational use.“ Recreational ? Hearing aids that they do regulate are now made by a small number of companies and are sold with audiologist services for $1000 up to $4000 per device – most people need two – and have a lifespan of up to 7 years. That price includes a hearing test, fitting, initial batteries and more.
An adjunct professor of gerontology at Marylhurst University, Pacific University, and Portland Community College, this is author Mary Jo Saavedra’s debut publication.
What makes Voice First special for older adults? This blog has discussed the emergence of Voice First technology -- speech-enabled interactions with technology -- on multiple occasions. But this occasion is different -- it marks the publication of a research effort and resulting report linked here called The Future of Voice First Technology and Older Adults 2018. Today's blog post offers a short excerpt of key differences between Voice First technology and prior tech generations that apply to all users – but are unique for seniors -- future research will continue to explore that uniqueness. So what has inspired multiple organizations, including Benchmark Senior Living and Carlsbad by the Sea, to begin their programs? They see that while Voice First technology is an early market with some (noted) limitations, it also represents, unlike prior technology generations, benefits for users. For users and tech managers, Voice First is:
n a short month, heard lots about caregiving and hearing. You have 'conversed' with an older person who cannot hear well without hearing aids but owns an expensive pair which are highly adjustable. But they don't
The hearing aid industry offers pricey hearing aids for people with ‘defined’ hearing loss. The FDA wants you to understand that 
What makes Voice First special for older adults? This blog has discussed the 