Aural Rehabilitation
Aural rehabilitation, sometimes referred to as A.R. or aural rehab, aims to mitigate the impact that hearing loss can have on an adult. It covers a variety of practices that aim at enhancing a person’s ability to participate and engage in activities that may be complicated by their hearing loss.
What is Aural Rehabilitation?
Treating a hearing loss can help protect your cognitive health and improve your quality of life. This process is referred to as ‘Aural Rehabilitation.’
In a study published in the National Center For Biotechnology Information, Dr. Arthur Boothroyd defines the concept of adult aural rehabilitation as: “the reduction of hearing-loss-induced deficits of function, activity, participation, and quality of life through sensory management, instruction, perceptual training, and counseling.”
Creating an Aural Rehabilitation Plan
The first step towards rehabilitation is a proper diagnosis. Your hearing healthcare professional will determine the extent of your hearing loss with a hearing assessment. If you’d like information on what you can expect at a hearing assessment, click here.
At Anderson Audiology, our hearing care professionals will create an aural rehabilitation plan that considers your lifestyle, work environment, social settings and more. We’ll cover listening techniques, communication strategies, and more.
What To Expect With An Aural Rehabilitation Plan
Some of the things you can expect as part of an aural rehabilitation plan are:
- A hearing loss assessment – A proper diagnosis is an important part of understanding the level of hearing loss you may be experiencing. It will also help in determining the causes of your hearing loss.
- Helping your family and friends to understand – Your hearing loss won’t only be affecting you. It will also be affecting friends and family. Your hearing care professional will help with effective communication techniques, and give your friends and family information about your hearing loss.
- Hearing devices – Once your hearing has been assessed, your hearing healthcare practitioner may feel that hearing aids are a suitable treatment. At Anderson Audiology, we have a wide variety of hearing aids to choose from. Our team will help you find the device that is most suited for your lifestyle.
- Listening strategies – The sooner you seek treatment for a hearing loss, the shorter time your aural rehabilitation may take. Unfortunately, many adults wait years before seeking treatment. Subsequently, you may not have been hearing a lot of sounds, like feet on a carpet. It will take your brain time to adjust, but your plan should include listening strategies.
Aural rehabilitation may be an option for you if you have a hearing impairment or hearing loss. If you’d like to discuss further, please get in touch with the hearing care professionals at Anderson Audiology today. We’ll start with a complimentary hearing assessment to determine your baseline hearing. schedule an appointment today with one of our hearing professionals at one of our five convenient audiology clinic locations in southern Nevada.