Hearing loss raises chance of dementia three-fold: podcast

Out of every thousand people aged over 65, it's estimated that 83 Australians are living with dementia.

To boost support and clear the persisting misconceptions around the disease, the annual Dementia Action Week kicks off today with a campaign called: 'A little support makes a big difference'.

Clinical trainer and audiologist Lauren McNee says one of the stigmas people with dementia face is the role of hearing loss and wearing hearing aids.

"Many people think of a hearing aid as something really big, unattractive and it makes people feel old or disabled. But hearing aids are not like that anymore," she says.

"However, this stigma stops people from taking action, causing more social isolation and higher risks of dementia."

Lauren says that if all hearing loss was managed on time, close to 1 in 13 cases of dementia could be delayed or eliminated.

Tune in to Aged Care Insite's conversation with Lauren to learn about the relationship between hearing loss and dementia, and how hearing aids can help prevent the onset of the disease.