22 minute read
✷ Free online hearing tests you can take at home
By Jim Miller
Free Online Hearing Tests You Can Take at Home
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Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend any good online hearing tests? My husband has hearing loss, but I can’t get him to go in and get his hearing checked, so I thought a simple online test could help him recognize he has a problem. What can you tell me?
— Loud Talking Linda
Dear Linda,
There’s actually a growing number of very good online and app-based hearing tests available that will let your husband check his hearing on his own. These tests are a quick and convenient option for the millions of Americans that have mild to moderate hearing loss but often ignore it, or don’t want to go through the hassle or expense of visiting an audiologist for a hearing exam.
Who Should Test?
Hearing loss for most people develops gradually over many years of wear and tear, which is the reason many people don’t realize they actually have a hearing problem.
Anyone who has difficulty hearing or understanding what people say, especially in noisier environments or over the phone. Or, if you need a higher volume of music or TV than other people, should take a few minutes to test their hearing.
Self-Hearing Tests
Online and app-based hearing tests can serve as a great screening tool. They are not meant to be a diagnosis, but rather to give you an idea of how bad your hearing loss is and what can be done about it.
For most do-it-yourself hearing tests, you’ll be advised to wear ear headphones or earbuds and sit in a quiet spot.
You also need to know that there are two different types of tests available. One type is known as pure-tone testing, where tones are played in decreasing volumes to determine your specific level of hearing loss. And the other type is known as speech-innoise or digits-in-noise (DIN) where you’ll be asked to identify words, numbers, or phrases amid background noise.
Where to Test
If your husband uses a smartphone or tablet, two of my favorite app-based hearing tests are the hearWHO app created by the World Health Organization, and the Mimi Hearing Test app. Both apps are free to use and are available through the App Store and Google Play.
HearWHO allows users to check their hearing status and monitor it over time using a DIN test, while Mimi uses pure-tone and masked threshold tests to give you a detailed picture of your hearing abilities.
There are also a wide variety of online hearing tests your husband can take on a computer.
Some top online tests — all offered by hearing aid manufacturers — for speech-in-noise or DIN tests can be accessed at ReSound (resound. com/en-us/online-hearing-test) and Miracle Ear (miracle-ear.com/online-hearing-test).
And some good online hearing tests for pure-tone testing are available by Signia (signia.net/en/ service/hearing-test); Ergo (ergo. com/hearing-health/hearing-check); and MD Hearing Aid (mdhearingaid. com/hearing-test).
All of these hearing tests are completely free to use and take less than five minutes to complete.
What to do with Results
If the tests indicate your husband has hearing loss, it’s best to think of that as a starting point. He should take results to his doctor or an audiologist for further evaluation.
Many insurance providers and Medicare Advantage plans cover routine hearing exams, however original Medicare does not.
If his hearing loss is mild to moderate, he should look into the new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, which are available this fall online and at retailers like Best Buy, Walgreens and CVS.
OTC hearing aids don’t require a prescription or medical examination for purchase and they’re much more affordable than traditional hearing aids you buy through an audiologist or a licensed hearing instrument specialist.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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Ask The Social Security Office
From the Social Security District Office New Start Dates for Medicare Part B Coverage Coming In 2023
What is not changing:
If you are eligible at age 65, your initial enrollment period (IEP): • Begins three months before your 65th birthday. • Includes the month of your 65th birthday. • Ends three months after your 65th birthday.
If you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B or if you sign up during the first three months of your IEP, your coverage will start the month you’re first eligible. If you sign up the month you turn 65, your coverage will start the first day of the following month. This won’t change with the new rule.
What is changing:
Starting Jan. 1, 2023, your Medicare Part B coverage starts the first Q&A
Q.: When a person who has worked and paid Social Security taxes dies, are benefits payable on that person’s record?
A.: Social Security survivors benefits can be paid to: • A widow or widower—unreduced benefits at full retirement age, or reduced benefits as early as age 60. • A disabled widow or widower—as early as age 50. • A widow or widower at any age if he or she takes care of the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled, and receiving Social Security benefits. • Unmarried children under 18 or up to age 19 if they are attending high school full time. Under certain circumstances, benefits can be paid to stepchildren, grandchildren, or adopted children. • Children at any age who were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled. • Dependent parents age 62 or older.
Even if you are divorced, you still may qualify for survivors benefits. For more information, go to www.ssa.gov.
Q.: I plan to retire soon. When are Social Security benefits paid?
A.: Social Security benefits are paid each month. Generally, new retirees receive their benefits on either the second, third or fourth Wednesday of each month, depending on the day in the month the retiree was born. If you receive benefits as a spouse, your benefit payment date will be determined by your spouse’s birth date.
Here’s a chart showing how your day of the month after you sign up if you sign up during the last three months of your IEP.
Before this change, if you signed up during the last three months of your IEP, your Medicare Part B coverage started two to three months after you enrolled.
If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B during your IEP, you have another chance each year during the general enrollment period (GEP). The GEP lasts from Jan. 1 through March 31. Starting Jan. 1, 2023, your coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.
You can learn more about these updates on our Medicare webpage at www.ssa.gov/medicare and our Medicare publication at www.ssa. gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdf.
Please pass this information along to someone who may need it.
monthly payment date is determined:
Day of the Month You Were Born Social Security Benefits Paid On
1st-10th Second Wednesday
11th-20th Third Wednesday
21st-31st Fourth Wednesday
For a calendar showing actual payment dates, see the Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments at www.ssa.gov/pubs.
Q.: Will my Social Security disability benefit increase if my condition gets worse or I develop additional health problems?
A.: No. We do not base your Social Security benefit amount on the severity of your disability. The amount you are paid is based on your average lifetime earnings before your disability began. If you go back to work after getting disability benefits, you may be able to get a higher benefit based on those earnings. In addition, we have incentives that allow you to work temporarily without losing your disability benefits. For more information about disability benefits, read our publications “Disability Benefits and Working While Disabled — How We Can Help.” Both are available online at www.ssa. gov/pubs.
How to Stay Fit During Retirement
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Does retiring from work mean retirement from working out? It may seem that way for people whose fitness activities linked to their employment.
Once they are no longer in a workaday routine, it’s easy to let fitness slide.
For example, perhaps they took a morning run before leaving for work. Or maybe they walked with a group of coworkers on their lunch break.
Perhaps the employer offered a fitness center, discount on a gym membership or their health insurance benefits included a gym membership reimbursement.
When fitness endeavors closely align with employment, it takes planning to stay fit as a retiree.
Noah Basehart, certified personal trainer and general manager at NexGen Fitness and Recovery in Buffalo, said that other barriers to staying fit can include pain from old injuries cropping up and fear of further injuries.
“With pain, there are a lot of fitness and medical professionals who can recommend movements to match their energy level and function,” Basehart said. “Many modalities can be appropriate like low exertion exercise and flexibility. Appropriate guidance and equipment can greatly reduce injury risk.”
To accommodate a tight budget, he recommends community events, open gym time at a local school or community center, and senior gym memberships. Some gyms accept insurance. ALSO INSIDEU.S. Hospitals Are Getting Safer for Patients P. 5 Finally, Lower Drug Prices. But Wait… P. 6 Just 8% Lack Health Insurance, a Record Low P . 5
“Even if you can’t afford to go to a gym, there are tons of resources online to work out at home,” Basehart said. “If you were to go on YouTube and search for bodyweight workout, there are probably tens of thousands.
“Go for a walk, put on music and dance in the kitchen. People may be less inclined to leave home in the colder weather. Asking a trainer for a body weight plan to do at home is a good way to stay active.”
Workplace workouts often involve others. But retiring pares down the social circle. Establishing a new social circle around activity can help people meet those fitness goals.
Joining a fitness group or class can also help keep retirees connected and accountable. Many fitness organizations offer lower rates for people 65-plus and provide regimens that can accommodate people with limitations from past injuries. There is no reason a bum knee or painful shoulder should eliminate activity. Community-based walking clubs,
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hiking groups or other activity-based groups can help keep retirees moving.
Chad Pozantidis, manager of Terrie’s Boxing Club in Buffalo, encourages retirees to join a club or take fitness-oriented lessons to stay accountable and consistent. Going it alone often results in engaging in activity that is not intense enough and offers minimal results. Going too intense can lead to quitting or, worse, injuries.
“At our facility, we have multiple classes throughout the day,” Pozantidis said. “A lot of the daytime classes are well-attended by people who are retired. We offer strength training, Zuma, cardio kickboxing, and all of those are geared towards the older clientele.”
An initial session with a personal trainer is part of the basic gym membership, although optional follow-up sessions for an additional fee can help those working out stay in form and on track.
“Finding the right trainer makes a difference,” Pozantidis said. “If the client needs more mobility, special equipment or has arthritis or even if they just want to stay fit and build strength, the key is to get a reason to come here and get on a good program.”
Tina Privitera, certified personal trainer at Achieve Personal Fitness in Buffalo, tells many people that walking “is the number one thing to add to your regimen. I also suggest doing exercise in the morning, so you get it over with. Now with YouTube there’s no shortage of free videos for every age and every level of fitness. Start small and simple but start somewhere.”
She also recommends joining Facebook groups or in-person meet up groups to build accountability. Calling a friend to check in can also improve consistency.
“If someone wants to change, they will find resources in a creative way,” Privitera said. “People are hard on themselves, but any kind of FREE exercise is good. The simple things are sometimes better.”
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I Survived Hurricane Ian
By Barbara Pierce
Eleven days since Hurricane Ian, a brutal, devasting monster storm hit my town in Charlotte County, Florida.
I stride down the sidewalk, dodging the many downed trees and tree limbs, street signs laying in the grass, shingles from a roof, bits and pieces of plastic and metal I can’t even identify.
Every inch of ground is covered with debris; every yard with big stacks of rubble.
Both sides of the sidewalk used to be green with foliage; it was a tropical jungle. I loved walking under the canopy of the trees.
Now all is brown; bright sun glaring down.
No canopy of trees; no shade. No leaves left on the trees.
Few trees are intact; most have a limb hanging. No stop lights because there is no power. No power in much of the area.
It’s overwhelming and heartbreakingly sad, all this destruction.
When the local weather person said “A massive hurricane is headed toward Florida,” I listened. But I’ve lived in Florida 20 years — I’ve often heard there’s a hurricane that may be headed our way. I didn’t get alarmed. Just another Florida day.
The weather people always make a big deal of it and everyone rushes out and buys tons of water and potato chips and toilet paper. Many evacuate. All sit back and watch the approaching hurricane, but it always turns off course or their predictions were wrong. Time and time again.
So why would this be any different? I thought. Not a big deal. It won’t come here.
They warned us this is a bigger, more power hurricane. They weren’t sure where it was headed. They always err on the side of caution, get people all riled up and anxious. Well, not me; I wasn’t going to worry.
The day before, they still weren’t sure where this hurricane would make landfall. We were in the cone. Just to be cautious, I grabbed my toothbrush and favorite pillow and went to stay with my daughter and her family nearby.
The entire country knows what happened the next day, over those eight hours, as Ian’s winds strengthened to 155 mph. The storm sucked water from the Gulf to pour down over us, flooding the streets. It was a category 4 storm; the fifth-strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. Ian will go down in history as one of the most violent hurricanes of all time.
The power went out even before the wind and rain came. The house was cave-like dark because of the hurricane shutters on all the windows. With the flickering Halloween candles, glow-in-the dark spider webs and menacing skulls, it was creepy.
As the wind and rain started, we hunkered down, shared stories and snacks while monitoring Ian’s progress on an iPhone. After a few hours, we couldn’t hear each other over the intensifying cacophony of Ian.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was so sure I wasn’t in the path of a hurricane. I was so wrong.
Hour after hour, the constant, loud sound of the wind and the pounding rain, punctuated by loud hits. The hardest part was not knowing what it was like outside the house. We knew it would be bad from all the noise.
Finally, after a long eight hours, it stopped. We ran out the front door and cheered about how happy we were that we were OK and the house was OK. But outside was a mess. A river instead of the street. Our cars, up in the driveway, under water up to their tires. Before Ian, the lots next door and across the street were forests, packed with trees and vines.
Now all the green was gone; trees lay on the ground, their roots exposed. Limbs all over the ground. The leaves all gone. Just a few brown tangled branches where it had been a tropical green forest. So sad.
A tree had fallen on the neighbor’s car. Water was half way up his front door, going into his house; it wasn’t up on a beam like ours.
The backyard shed lost its door. Though filled with stuff and very heavy, the shed had been moved off its foundation by the wind. The huge above-ground pool was destroyed, pieces all over the yard.
As the water in the street lessened, I drove back to my apartment. As my complex has a generator, we had power. My daughter still doesn’t have power in her house, 11 days later. Taking cold showers was the worst of it for her. She’s been scrounging food wherever she can — most restaurants and stores aren’t open. So many people poured into to the county, offering food, helping the cleanup and recovery.
Going through those hours under the hurricane was nothing compared to the aftermath. You’ve seen it on the news. Much of the foliage is gone. Many roofs, pool cages and lanai screens stripped. All over, everywhere. Businesses aren’t open.
The landscape has changed; without the signs on buildings, the trees and the street signs, it’s hard to find your way around. It’s heartbreaking. People wait in line six hours for gas, or drive hours to get what they need.
Authorities don’t know how many lives were lost; at least 120. My heart goes out to those who lost so much more than I did; two of my friends each lost their homes and are living with friends. A third is in a homeless shelter.
Now, I walk down the sidewalk, sending up thanks it wasn’t worse. A red-headed woodpecker hops up on the tree down in front of me, looks up at me. “Thought you were so smart, did you?” I imagine him saying. “Next time maybe you’ll listen to them.”
Charlotte County will be OK; I know we’ll come back, better than before. We’re strong; we’re determined.
Barbara Pierce
is a long-time contributing writer with In Good Health— Mohawk Valley edition.
