UPDATE:  August 13, 2024

A.I. Hearing Aid "Beta-Test" Offered In Capital District

Participants in a hearing aid trial will have the chance to wear hearing instruments with artificial intelligence from two different laboratories during a two-week period in a beta-test-style experience.

Would-be participants must register in advance by calling 1-844-434-3277. Appointments are limited through September 30, 2024 and include a complimentary hearing evaluation in Glenmont.

A few world-leading laboratories have simultaneously released new technology that helps clarify speech, reduce the effects of background noise such as that which is found in restaurants and busy places and that offer acoustic-specific-options through personalized programming delivered to patients via cell phone apps.

Some of the technology is so advanced that there is a “set-and-forget” option as a convenience or for those who are tech-wary.

The trial coincides with Older American’s Month in May whose theme this year is “Powered by Connection.” Hearing loss inhibits interaction as much as any variable.

Johns Hopkins Study Links Hearing Loss With Dementia In Older Adults

Johns Hopkins’ “New Study Links Hearing Loss With Dementia in Older Adults” lists the malady as a factor of great concern. Isolation in the senior community often stems from fear of not hearing or feeling left out in social situations.

This has caused Johns Hopkins and other academia to explore the serious consequences of aging-related hearing loss.

“Many family members notice that their aging parents, relatives and loved ones begin avoiding get-togethers, birthday parties, baby showers and holiday celebrations because they can’t participate in the discussions and it’s an unnecessary heartbreak for all concerned,” said trial organizer Robert J. LaCosta, BC-HIS. “This test will allow patients and their loved-ones to witness the dramatic difference between active social engagement and the stifling silence of untreated hearing loss.”

LaCosta emphasized that hearing loss does not cause dementia, but rather plays a part in the overall health of someone who is at risk. Photo from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Who is “at-risk?”

“Families and loved ones will often be the first to know,” LaCosta said. “Proceeding through their primary care practice with vigilant check-ups is Robert J. LaCosta, BC-HIS common sense. This may lead to referrals to specialists.”

Background Noise And Speech Clarity Are Often The Culprits

Background noise is often associated with isolation tendencies because many social situations are plagued by competing acoustical sounds such as overhead music, air conditioners, chatter or even a seemingly innocuous television playing in the background.

LaCosta is a background-noise specialist and has been the invited speaker to over 700 groups. He has successfully treated over 10,000 hearing-impaired clientele and often reflects on the mischaracterization of what he coins, “The Invisible Disability.”

“Hearing loss was often treated with kid gloves,” LaCosta said. “Now, it’s no longer a laughing matter with all of the ‘What?’ jokes that used to be levied at the impaired person. Families are finding out just how progressive and devastating isolation can be.”

The trial will actually let hearing aid candidates wear instruments in their specific social or work settings and then try a second pair from a different laboratory to see which one handles their acoustical challenges in the most effective manner.

To register, please contact Vini Cavaleri at 1-844-434-3277