As time goes on and we start to get older some things, begin to change. One of those things is our sight and hearing begin to not be as sharp as they used to be. It can be frustrating but also something that you should not ignore. There are ways to treat dual sensory impairment so that it is easier to function in your life.
What does it mean to have a hearing and a sight impairment?
Just because you have an impairment does not mean you are automatically deaf or blind. There are different levels to both. For example, if you wear glasses then you have a slight vision impairment but that does not mean you are blind you can still see but you just need corrective lenses. Your eyes have muscles and as you get older these muscles can start to weaken affecting the shape of our lens. For your hearing, it can be harder to hear because of the more wax and cartilage that has now formed in your ears. These are the reasons that you can be seeing a decrease in sight and hearing.
Some tools and services out there
Having the right help is what makes all the difference. Hearing aids, glasses, cochlear implants, and eye corrective surgery are just some things that can help. Some other things to keep in mind is that as these senses decrease so do your perception and balance. You are going to need to be aware of your surrounding as much as you can. Invest in things that will help prevent you from getting hurt. Like looking up seat elevators for stairs which can just be known as a stairlift. This mobile stairlift moves slowly bringing you up and down the stairs in a safe manner and helps keep you from falling on the stairs and getting injured. You can also download an app on your phone that reads you the words on an object, this way you can make it as loud or silent as you want and you can have it repeat as many times as you need. In your home other than having a home stair elevator to make sure you don’t fall you can also have everything in a certain place and have someone help you memorize where everything is so don’t bump into anything and get hurt.
These changes are frustrating because you can lose your independence, but if you don’t ignore these symptoms then you can still keep your freedom without having to worry about the chance of getting hurt.
Why it shouldn’t be ignored
You might think that it is not important, that it’s all because of getting older. Yes, it can be the cause of aging but it has also been found that the mortality rate of those that have an impairment is higher than those that have no impairment at all. If you take care of your impairment, the mortality rate has a possibility of going down and it can also make mobility easier for you. Getting the right services that are designed for you can have a big impact on how you continue to live your life.
Sources:
https://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=yjdblhTe_x0
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210306113205.htm
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-common-problem-older-adults
