Hi, My mother has Dementia and is living with me. It has been a bit difficult for me to get adjusted to her changing needs. Yet we managed to do pretty okay. Recently she stopped responding when I ask her something. I thought its due to her memory loss. As per our neighbor's suggestion we took her to an audiologist at the hearing solutions and figured that she has hearing loss. They recommended using a hearing aid. Will it help her? Will her hearing be affected fully? How do we handle this?
she may not be responsive, even with the hearing aids.
One of the most tiresome things about caring for my mother (which I only do for a few months each year) is having to say everything at high volume because of her hearing loss and having to repeat it all minutes later because of her cognitive/memory loss. My brother took her in for a hearing test a couple of years ago and she failed every aspect of it, but wasn't able to process that information or accept that she needed a hearing device. When I brought up the subject again the "conversation" went something like this:
- Mom, your hearing is not as good as it used to be. Why don't we look into getting you a hearing aid?
- I can hear you just fine.
- That's because I'm almost shouting.
- No, you're not.
(Lowering my voice to normal) - Now I'm speaking in a normal voice. Can you hear me?
- You are deliberately talking very quietly so I can't hear you!
What gets me about her reaction to so many of my suggestions is the perception on her part that I am trying to con her or mess with her mind. Really, Mom?
Like trying to reason with a toddler....
See All Answers