Tom is getting a brand new knee and he’s super pumped! Hey, the things you look forward to change as you get older. He will be capable of moving around more freely and will experience less pain with his new knee. So Tom is admitted, the operation is a success, and Tom heads home!
That’s when things go wrong.
Regrettably, the healing process doesn’t go as it should. Tom finds himself back in the hospital with an infection and will require another surgery. Tom is not as psyched by this point. The nurses and doctors have come to the conclusion that Tom wasn’t following their advice and instructions for recovery.
Tom didn’t purposely ignore the instructions. Tom actually never even heard the instructions. It turns out that there is a strong link between hospital visits and hearing loss, so Tom isn’t by himself.
More hospital visits can be the result of hearing loss
By now, you’re probably familiar with the typical drawbacks of hearing loss: you tend to socially isolate yourself, causing you to become more distant from friends and loved ones, and you raise your risk of developing dementia. But there can be additional, less obvious disadvantages to hearing loss, too, some of which we’re just starting to really understand.
One of those relationships that’s becoming more evident is that hearing loss can result in an increase in emergency room trips. People who struggle with untreated hearing loss have a greater danger of taking a trip to the emergency room by 17% and will be 44% more likely to need to be readmitted later, according to one study.
What’s the connection?
There are a couple of reasons why this might be.
- Your potential of readmission significantly increases once you’re in the hospital. But when you’re released and go home for a time but then need to go back to the hospital, readmission happens. Sometimes this takes place because a complication occurs. Readmission can also happen because the initial problem wasn’t properly managed or even from a new issue.
- Neglected hearing loss can negatively impact your situational awareness. Anything from a stubbed toe to a car accident will be more likely to happen if you’re not aware of your surroundings. These kinds of injuries can, obviously, land you in the hospital (if you stub your toe hard enough).
Risk of readmission is increased
Why is readmission more likely for people who have neglected hearing loss? There are a couple of reasons for this:
- When your nurses and doctors give you guidelines you might not hear them very well because of your neglected hearing loss. For instance, if you can’t hear what your physical therapist is telling you to do, you will be unable to perform your physical therapy treatment as well as you otherwise might. Whether you’re still in the hospital or at home, your recovery duration could be greatly increased.
- Taking care of yourself after you get home will be practically impossible if you don’t hear the instructions. You have a higher chance of reinjuring yourself if you don’t even know that you didn’t hear the instructions.
For example, let’s pretend you’ve recently had knee replacement surgery. Your surgeon may tell you not to take a shower for the next 3 weeks, but you hear 3 days instead. Now your wound is in danger of getting a serious infection (one that could land you back at the hospital).
Keeping track of your hearing aids
The solution may seem straight-forward at first glance: just use your hearing aids! Sadly, in the early phases of hearing loss, it frequently goes undetected because of how gradually it progresses. The solution here is to make an appointment for a hearing exam with us.
Even after you’ve taken the measures and invested in a set of hearing aids, there’s still the chance you may lose them. It’s often a chaotic scene when you need to go in for a hospital stay. Which means there’s lots of potential of losing your hearing aids. You will be better able to stay engaged in your care when you’re in the hospital if you know how to deal with your hearing aid.
Tips for taking your hearing aids with you during a hospital stay
If you’re dealing with hearing loss and you’re going in for a hospital stay, a lot of the headaches and discomfort can be avoided by knowing how to prepare. Here are a number of basic things you can do:
- Don’t forget to bring your case. It’s very important to use a case for your hearing aids. This will make them much easier to keep track of.
- Encourage your loved ones to advocate for you. You should always be advocating for yourself in a hospital setting.
- Be aware of your battery power. Bring spares if you need them and charge your hearing aids when you can.
- Communicate to hospital staff about your hearing loss. Miscommunication will be less likely if they are well informed about your situation.
- Use your hearing aids whenever you can, and when you aren’t wearing them, make certain to keep them in the case.
Communication with the hospital at every phase is key here. Be certain that you’re telling your nurses and physicians about your hearing loss.
Hearing is a health concern
It’s important to understand that your hearing health and your overall health are closely linked. After all your overall health can be considerably affected by your hearing. Hearing loss is like any other health problem in that it needs to be treated right away.
The power to avoid Tom’s fate is in your hands. Keep your hearing aids close the next time you have to go in for a hospital stay.