By: Dr. Jennifer Bebee
This year I’m giving the opening talk at the Annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s Disease Kick-off for Grand Junction. It’s my first year doing a public speech about Alzheimer’s/Dementia, but I talk about it all the time in my work. I talk about it all the time outside of work too. In fact, it’s all I talked about while I was getting prepped for shoulder surgery after they gave me the good drugs. I suppose you could say I’m passionate about it enough to talk about it in my sleep.
Hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia with wonderful outcomes for patients that treat their hearing loss early. The Lancet published their Dementia Issue in 2017, 2020, and 2024 with around (now) 14 risk factors that folks can actually modify to reduce their risk for dementia and hearing loss has always been the top factor. We don’t always think of reducing our risk for dementia being related to hearing loss, maybe more looking at diet, exercise, social life, etc., but if we put our efforts towards treating hearing loss by getting and wearing properly fit prescriptive hearing aids, there’s definitely more of an impact long-term.
With the dementia population set to almost triple by 2050, we’ve got to get serious about dementia prevention; and on the other side of it, we need to become aware of and engage with the services in our community that make dealing with dementia easier and less lonely. I see loads of patients that are taking care of an older generation completely solo and feeling so alone in it too, but they don’t reach out, they don’t look for ways to ease the caregiving burden, and it weighs on them. I’m thankful to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) for being a wonderful resource to those that are dealing with dementia, whether themselves or in care for another. I highly recommend everyone be aware of what resources are available for dementia care and planning in their region and starting with the Alzheimer’s Association is a great start. Also, get your hearing checked!