Tom is getting a brand new knee and he’s super pumped! Hey, the things you look forward to change as you age. He will be able to move moving around more easily and will have less pain with this knee replacement. So Tom goes in, the operation is a success, and Tom goes home!
But that isn’t the end of it.
Sadly, the healing process doesn’t go very well. An infection sets in, and Tom ends up back in the hospital for another knee surgery. Tom is not as excited by this point. The doctors and nurses have come to the conclusion that Tom wasn’t following their advice and guidelines for recovery.
Tom didn’t purposely ignore the guidelines. The problem is that he never heard them. Tom can take some comfort in the fact that he isn’t alone: there’s a strong link between hearing loss and hospital visits.
More hospital visits can be the consequence of hearing loss
The typical drawbacks of hearing loss are something that most individuals are already acquainted with: you tend to socially separate yourself, causing you to become more removed from friends and family, and you raise your danger of developing dementia. But there can be additional, less obvious disadvantages to hearing loss, too, some of which we’re just starting to truly understand.
One of those relationships that’s becoming more apparent is that hearing loss can lead to an increase in emergency room trips. One study discovered that individuals with hearing loss have a 17% greater risk of requiring a trip to the emergency room and a 44% higher chance of readmission later on.
What’s the connection?
This could be the case for a couple of reasons.
- Untreated hearing loss can negatively affect your situational awareness. Anything from a stubbed toe to a car accident will be more likely to happen if you aren’t aware of what’s around you. These types of injuries can, obviously, send you to the hospital (if you stub your toe hard enough).
- Once you’re in the hospital, your chance of readmission increases considerably. But when you’re discharged and go home for a time but then need to go back to the hospital, readmission occurs. Complications sometimes happen that lead to this readmission. In other instances, readmission may be the outcome of a new issue, or because the initial issue wasn’t properly addressed.
Risk of readmission is increased
So why are individuals with neglected hearing loss more likely to be readmitted to the hospital? There are a couple of reasons for this:
- When your nurses and doctors give you instructions you may not hear them very well because of your neglected hearing loss. For example, if you can’t hear what your physical therapist is telling you to do, you won’t be able to perform your physical therapy treatment as well as you otherwise might. Whether you’re still in the hospital or at home, your recovery time could be greatly increased.
- Caring for yourself after you get home will be practically impossible if you don’t hear the guidelines. If you can’t hear the instructions (and especially if you’re not aware that you aren’t hearing your instructions properly), you’re more likely to reinjure yourself.
Let’s say, for instance, you’ve recently had surgery to replace your knee. Maybe you’re not supposed to shower for three weeks but you thought your doctor said three days. And you could find yourself back in the hospital with a serious infection.
Keeping track of your hearing aids
The solution might seem straight-forward at first glance: you just need to wear your hearing aids! Sadly, in the early stages of hearing loss, it often goes unnoticed because of how slowly it develops. Coming in to see us for a hearing exam is the solution here.
Even after you’ve taken the steps and invested in a pair of hearing aids, there’s still the possibility of losing them. It’s often a chaotic scene when you have to go in for a hospital stay. So the possibility of losing your hearing aid is absolutely present. You will be better able to stay involved in your care when you’re in the hospital if you know how to handle your hearing aid.
Tips for preparing for a hospital stay when you have hearing loss
If you’re dealing with hearing loss and you’re going in for a hospital stay, many of the headaches and discomfort can be prevented by knowing how to get yourself ready. Here are a number of basic things you can do:
- Make sure that the hospital staff is aware of your hearing loss. Miscommunication will be less likely if they are well informed about your situation.
- Be mindful of your battery power. Keep your hearing aid charged and bring spares if needed.
- Encourage your loved ones to advocate for you. You should always be advocating for yourself in a hospital setting.
- Wear your hearing aids whenever you can, and put them in their case when you’re not using them.
- Don’t forget your case. Using a case for your hearing aid is very important. This will make them much easier to keep track of.
Communication with the hospital at every stage is the trick here. Be sure you’re telling your nurses and doctors about your hearing loss.
Hearing is a health concern
It’s important to recognize that your hearing health and your general health are closely linked. After all, your hearing can have a considerable affect on your general health. In a lot of ways, hearing loss is the same as a broken arm, in that each of these health problems requires prompt treatment in order to prevent possible complications.
You don’t have to be like Tom. Keep your hearing aids close the next time you need to go in for a hospital stay.
