Within senior living communities, the resident experience refers to all the factors that contribute to a resident’s enjoyment of daily life. These factors include participating in an activity, engaging in social interactions, communicating needs to staff, pursuing wellness, and more. Unfortunately, many senior residents have age-related hearing loss, which can have a negative impact on resident experience.
Hearing loss is an insidious issue, which affects nearly all areas of life. For members of a senior living community, the effects of hearing loss extend far beyond the scope of participation in activities. Hearing loss can substantially reduce a resident’s overall wellbeing and cause communication challenges. Additionally, within communities without the use of hearing assistance solutions, staff may be limited in their ability to perform their duties, such as have an effective physical therapy session, and the community’s reputation may suffer.
That said, Eversound presents a viable, effective hearing assistance solution that can help to mitigate the impact of age-related hearing loss as well as issues related to focus. This guide will help you understand the pivotal role that the Eversound solution can play in treating hearing loss and focus issues within senior living communities.
The vital role hearing plays in the quality of life
Hearing plays a central role in life’s enjoyment for most individuals. Not only does it enable us to effectively communicate with others, but it also heavily contributes to our enjoyment of life. In a senior living community, activities such as bingo or music therapy heavily rely on hearing to be effective. For those with hearing loss, enjoying a song, speaking with loved ones, and engaging in other social activities may become difficult or impossible.
Moreover, the ability to hear is often an essential feature of systems that are designed to keep us safe. Fire alarms, for example, generally rely on loud sounds to alert us of danger. In large environments, important announcements and messages may be delivered via audio systems. For hearing impaired individuals, those alerts and announcements may go unmissed and be rendered ineffective.
Overall, hearing loss makes it difficult to engage with others and our immediate environment, which can have damaging effects. That’s why hearing is an important part of maintaining a high quality of life for many people.
The Effects of Hearing Loss
While many effects of hearing loss are easy to observe, there are other more severe effects that often go unnoticed, especially in senior living communities. Hearing loss is often the catalyst for other health and wellness problems that cause substantial damage to mental health and overall health and well-being. As senior adults face unique age-related life circumstances and challenges, some of the effects of hearing loss can be amplified or exacerbated. Here is a breakdown of some of the most common negative effects of hearing loss in senior living communities:
- Increased Social Isolation: When hearing loss progresses to the point where holding a normal conversation becomes challenging, many seniors avoid conversations and isolate themselves. They may begin to feel shame, fear, sadness, frustration, and more. Social isolation has been shown to be as bad for one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day¹.
- Inability to Communicate Effectively: Those suffering from hearing loss may not know that they are because the loss is so gradual. This may lead to unintentional shouting, inability to follow along with conversations, and a lack of coherence (may speak about things unrelated to the conversation because they misheard a statement).
- Depression and Anxiety: When seniors do become aware of their hearing loss, they must make a psychosocial adjustment acknowledging the loss. During this period, seniors may suffer from depression and anxiety due to the nature of their disability and the losses they have incurred.
- Increased Health Risks: A series of studies have shown that untreated hearing loss in those over 80 years of age can increase the risk of falls by three times², increase the risk of dementia by 5 times³ and have a 21-39% increase risk of death⁴ depending on the severity of hearing impairment.
What is the eversound solution?
Eversound is a resident engagement platform, hearing assistance system, and communication tool all rolled into one comprehensive solution. Eversound’s solution consists of two distinct offerings: Wireless Headphone packages and a premium content programming service.
Eversound’s headphone solution is packed with features that make it a powerful hearing assistance and communication device.
Personalized
- Each pair of wireless headphones have easy to use volume adjustments to accommodate the individual’s hearing needs.
Dual input
- Eversound’s listening system is designed to allow for dual audio inputs. This gives residents the ability to hear music being played, the TV audio or another form of programming while also being able to simultaneously hear the amplified voice of another resident or a care provider at the same time.
Portability
- The microphone connected to the Eversound portable transmitter allows for residents to move freely while using the product, almost forgetting it’s there. Up to 120 headphones can be connected to the wireless transmitter at same time and be up to 300 feet way from the transmitter.
On the resident engagement side of things, Eversound’s activity programming service brings quality content directly to senior living communities. Our content selection spans a wide variety of programs and activities that help residents connect with one another, explore new interests, and learn new things every day. And also make planning a monthly activity calendar easier, so many options all in one place.
When paired, Eversound’s headphones and activity programming create an immersive experience for all members of the community.
The benefits of eversound on senior living communities
How does employing Eversound’s solutions translate to benefits within a senior living community? Fortunately, Eversound’s solutions result in many benefits across the entire community. That means, residents, teams, and even, families will feel its positive impact. Here’s a breakdown of the many ways in which Eversound can benefit all members of a senior living community.
Improvement in resident’s wellbeing
Residents suffering from hearing loss will be supplied with a valuable hearing assistance tool that can help to mitigate the effects of hearing loss by adjusting to the resident’s needs. Where previously residents may have isolated themselves, been embarrassed by their hearing loss, or simply given up on their chances of enjoying hearing-related activities again, Eversound provides a much-needed solution that helps to bridge the gap imposed by hearing loss.
More specifically, Eversound has been linked to increased resident engagement rates in senior living communities, with a case study showing a 28% improvement in resident engagement after the implementation of Eversound solutions. Higher engagement rates translate to more satisfied residents and an exceptional resident experience⁵. By helping residents hear better, Eversound helps provide a pathway to a better quality of life that includes enjoying activities that rely on hearing.
Increase in family satisfaction scores
The negative effects of hearing loss aren’t only felt within the senior living community. Many families may be aware that their loved one is suffering from hearing loss and be unable to do much to help treat it. As untreated hearing loss is rampant, many families experience trouble communicating with their loved ones or may watch their loved ones suffer through the detriments of hearing loss.
However, Eversound provides a welcome respite. With Eversound’s wireless headphone system residents’ loved ones can better communicate with them during in-person or virtual visits. This is especially true in cases where a family might not have been able to afford hearing aids or other hearing assistance solutions. By selecting a senior living community with Eversound, families know that their loved ones can hear and be heard. When they come to visit, they can use the Eversound headphone solution to communicate with their loved ones directly. In short, families can actually see the benefits of Eversound themselves.
Advanced technology that stands out to residents’ families
Two of the most important keys to increasing occupancy include outwitting the competition and providing a unique resident experience. Eversound offers a means to achieve both goals. Not only does Eversound create a distinct value proposition for your senior living community, but your community will be best-positioned to serve residents suffering from hearing loss.
Help the community with brand awareness
Eversound is a solution that is only available to senior living communities, so families looking for communities that can effectively care for their loved ones with hearing loss will gravitate toward your community. Additionally, you can share #EverMoments on social media and your website, to bolster your community’s reputation with real evidence.
Eversound can increase length of stay
Length of stay is an essential metric to the success of a senior living community. Shorter length of stay rates can indicate low resident engagement rates and a lack of engagement opportunities for all residents. Implementing Eversound can have a positive impact on the factors that influence length of stay.
Low resident engagement rates due to untreated hearing loss in senior adults typically manifests as disengaged seniors leaving group activities or falling asleep during the activity. As senior residents’ ability to participate in activities and interactions is limited by their hearing impairments, there are far fewer engagement opportunities available to these residents.
However, as Eversound’s headphone solution helps to alleviate the effects of hearing loss, residents gain back those lost engagement opportunities and make the most of them. A case study by Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing (FPCIW) demonstrated the effects of Eversound’s use in senior living communities, resulting in a drastic 75% increase in resident engagement and 64% increase in resident mood⁶.
Eversound’s headphones make it possible for residents to further enjoy more engagement opportunities offered by their community. When the headphones are paired with Eversound’s content programming, residents can enjoy an enhanced experience of content options, including art, fitness, science, entertainment, and culture.
Eversound’s wireless headphone solution and activity programming service increase engagement by providing residents with high-quality content and addressing the problem of hearing loss. Together, these solutions can act as a powerful aid to increasing length of stay.
Improve team efficiency to maximize time spent with residents
Miscommunication, including completely failed communication efforts, greatly hinders the effectiveness of the time spent serving residents. With Eversound’s headphones and clip-on mic, residents can have one-on-one conversations with your community’s team with ease. No longer will residents and staff spend time struggling to understand one another through the obstacles of masks, distance, and hearing impairment As a result, staff can better communicate with residents which is vital to providing quality care.
Better yet, activities that rely on hearing will no longer exclude those facing hearing impairment. Teams can host activities that include all residents with Eversound’s headphone and transmitter solution which can transmit sound over 300 feet.
Conclusion
A senior living community consists of residents, team members, and even resident families. Eversound is a comprehensive solution designed to benefit each of these groups, by addressing the problems caused by hearing loss and lack of resident engagement. Interested in learning how Eversound can benefit your community? Get in touch today!
Sources:
1 The “Loneliness Epidemic”, HRSA, Jan. 2019
2 Hearing Loss Linked to Three-Fold Risk of Falling, John Hopkins, 2012
3 The Hearing Review. The Hearing Review, 2014
5 Headphone Hearing Technology for Elder Care: Eversound, Freitas J., Evens A., Allenson C., 2016