Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
Information Retention Problems And Hearing Loss: Overcoming The Connection
Julio Carr
One of the things that few people realize is that suffering from hearing loss can also lead to information retention problems. When your body is trying to compensate for hearing difficulties, your brain has to work much harder to process the information that's coming in and decipher it. Because of that extra processing that's required, there's little resources left for information retention and memory storage. If you have hearing loss and find that you're often forgetting things that were said to you or simply not retaining information as well, here are a few things to consider.
Try To Get Lots Of Rest
If you know that you're going to be going into a demanding environment, such as a busy meeting or a weekend gathering, make sure that you get a lot of rest the night before. The better rested your body is, the easier it will be for you to focus on what's being said. Your cognitive abilities are stronger when your body is recharged and properly rested.
Eliminate Background Noise When Possible
Whenever possible, eliminate as much of the additional noise and auditory input when you have to have an important conversation. If you know that you'll need to retain what's being said, planning ahead to eliminate distracting noises will help. The less auditory information your brain has to process at the same time, the better your chances will be of actually retaining the information.
Repeat What Is Said To You
Try to repeat back any information that is important for you to remember. This serves two purposes. First, it ensures that you heard the information correctly to begin with. This prevents miscommunications and confusion. Further, by repeating it back, you help to commit it to memory. This can make it easier to remember some of the information later.
Record The Conversation
If you're having the conversation in a fairly quiet area, consider bringing a digital recorder with you. That way, you capture every word that's said so that you can reference it again later. It makes it much easier to retain when you can play it back as needed.
Write Things Down
For people with hearing loss, it's sometimes best to write down important information. A lot of people are hesitant to do this because they feel that it reflects poorly on them. In fact, writing things down will show the person you're talking to that you value the information.
Don't let your hearing loss embarrass you. Instead, learn how to overcome struggles such as information retention problems with tips like these. Contact a clinic, like Wakefield Hearing Center, for more help.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.