My father refused to admit he was losing his hearing over a period of 20 years, and that refusal was very destructive to my parents’ marriage and health. I think it had a role in advancing my mother’s vascular dementia due to her daily blood pressure spikes out of her frustration in interacting with him.

Although he eventually allowed himself to be fitted with hearing aids, he had by then grown used to a soundless world, and could never adjust to them, so usually would not wear them. There can be no doubt that the prolonged silence and isolation took a toll on his mental health and cognition.

So let’s not confuse ourselves about this. The research does not pertain to people who “appear cognitively impaired when they can’t hear” and who “appear cured” when they get hearing aids. The researchers are talking about people who let their hearing go for a long time, like my dad.