We are always looking for ways to enrich the lives of our residents and to improve their quality of life. Hearing loss is an inevitable challenge for many of our residents, which has a strong negative impact on their quality of life. A 2013 study by Johns Hopkins University showed that hearing loss is directly associated with increased hospitalizations, declining physical health, and an increased risk of dementia.
Hearing aids offer some relief, but they have their drawbacks as well. Seniors often lose hearing aids or forget to replace the batteries. They may also decide not to use hearing aids because they pick up distracting background noises. Without a way to hear, residents struggle to remain fully engaged in interactions with each other, their families, and in their activities. This is where the Eversound system comes in.
Last year, Commonwealth Senior Living launched a trial partnership with Eversound, a patented wireless listening system designed to improve hearing for older adults in senior living communities. Eversound headphones are superior to hearing aids because they block out distracting background noises, allowing seniors to focus on their activity and fully engage with each other. One of the great things about Eversound is that it is extremely easy for our residents and associates to use.
The trial was so successful that we began rolling out the Eversound system to all 23 of our communities, and the results have been astonishing. Within a week, we began to see a significant difference in the way residents were interacting with family members and in activities. Two memory care residents who used to be too distracted by ambient noise to feed themselves, were able to feed themselves again. We've also seen a significant impact on group activities. After implementing Eversound, EVERY community saw a 20 percent increase in resident attendance for group activities and greater engagement in those activities! We are always looking for ways to improve our residents lives. Increasing their engagement through enhanced sound technology has been a great way for us to do that.