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Protect member health from head to toe: How hearing, balance and health are all connected
As part of Delta Dental's commitment to overall health, we are continuing to highlight how the body works together to promote well-rounded well-being. Our bodies may be made up of many parts, but oral health isn’t separate. Neither is vision nor hearing. There's a whole-health connection that even impacts our balance and the likelihood of falling as we age.
Ears aren’t just for hearing
They help us balance, too. According to Carrie Meyer, Au.D., Director of Clinical Programs and audiologist at Amplifon, our ability to remain upright and move in space relies on multiple sensory inputs:
- Eyes: Vision orients our bodies in space and gives us our sense of movement.
- Hips, knees and ankles: Proprioceptors, sensory nerve endings in our feet and legs, signal to the brain our body’s position relative to the ground.
- Ears: Hearing provides location even in the dark (echolocation). The vestibular system (our inner ear) acts as an internal level.
Why focus on hearing when addressing falls?
Because it’s connected to how we move. Carrie Meyer used the term “cognitive loading,” which happens when we become overly reliant on one sense because others are impaired.
Reduced input from our eyes, ears, muscles and joints come naturally with aging and increase the risk of falling, according to the Amplifon Falls Prevention Solution report.
How Delta Dental supports members’ hearing
As part of Delta Dental's commitment to overall health, we maintain a partnership with Amplifon Hearing Health Care¹ to support your employees with savings on hearing care, hearing aids and complimentary follow-up care from their nationwide network of over 8,800 provider locations. Plus, Delta Dental members enjoy:
- Broad choice and the latest technology from the leading hearing aid brands.
- A 60-day risk-free trial with a 100% money-back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied with your hearing aids — no return or restocking fees.
- Comprehensive service program, including one year of unlimited follow-up care from a participating Amplifon provider, two years of free batteries or a charging station and a three-year warranty for loss, repairs or damage.²
Remind your employees that they have access to Amplifon as part of their Delta Dental member perks. Members can take advantage of hearing discounts and other exclusive offers and resources to help keep them healthy.
¹Amplifon’s hearing health care services are not insured benefits. Delta Dental makes the hearing health care services program available to you to provide access to hearing aids and other hearing health services.
²Follow-up care for one year after purchase. A two-year supply of batteries (80 cells per ear per year) or one standard charger at no additional cost. Warranty: Exclusions and limitations may apply. Contact Amplifon at 888-779-1429 for details.