On this week’s episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, Dr. Barbara Weinstein shares insights on the connection between hearing loss and cognitive health, the role of hearing aids and cochlear implants, and practical advice for optimizing communication. The discussion emphasizes the need for awareness and proactive measures to protect hearing and maintain a fulfilling life as we grow older. This conversation explores the critical issue of hearing loss as we age, discussing its prevalence, impact on quality of life, and the importance of social engagement.

Takeaways

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• Hearing loss affects 30-35% of adults aged 65-75.
  
  
• Higher frequency sounds are typically lost first with age.
  
  
• Social engagement is crucial for longevity and cognitive health.
  
  
• Hearing aids improve quality of life but do not cure dementia.
  
  
• Cochlear implants can be life-changing for those with significant hearing loss.
  
  
• Hearing loss can lead to social isolation and withdrawal.
  
  
• It’s important to distinguish between hearing and understanding.
  
  
• Technology is advancing to improve hearing solutions.
  
  
• Protecting hearing in noisy environments is essential.
  
  
• Regular hearing tests can help in early detection of hearing loss.
  

Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast Now Available on Roku Streaming Service

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You can also watch this week’s show in the player below. The shows now include closed-captioning for the deaf or people with a hearing loss. Click the “CC” button on the video player to activate closed-captions.

Listen to the Audio Podcast

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About the Guest



Barbara E. Weinstein, Ph.D.

An expert in hearing loss in older adults, Barbara E. Weinstein earned her Ph.D. in audiology with a minor in geriatrics from Columbia University. Weinstein has authored several textbooks, the most recent being Geriatric Audiology (2012). The author of close to one hundred articles and book chapters, she speaks nationally and internationally on a wide range of topics ranging from social isolation and hearing loss in the elderly, to senile dementia and hearing loss, to hearing aids and hearing health promotion and screening. She is a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), an Oyer Fellow, and a recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award for the New York State Speech Language Hearing Association. She served as a panelist on the National Institutes of Health consensus panel on cochlear implants. 
 
Weinstein developed the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly and its companion version, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults, the most widely used scales to screen adults and older adults for hearing loss, as well as to measure outcomes. She is the recipient of local, state, and federal grants in excess of $750,000 on aging, workforce education, counseling older adults, and outreach.

The post Seekers of Meaning 3/28/2025: Insights on Hearing Loss with Dr. Barbara Weinstein appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.