Here is your NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists and COTAs eNewsletter. For the latest news, jobs, education and blogs, bookmark our news page and job board or to take us everywhere with you, save this link to your phone. Also, enjoy the latest issue of NEWS-Line magazine, always free.
NEWS:
Studies Link Vestibular/Balance Disorders and Dizziness to Hearing Ability and Falls in Older Americans
The American Academy of Audiology has partnered with the Vestibular Disorders Association for Balance Awareness Week, September 13 to 19, to remind Americans about the importance of good hearing health in preventing falls as well as other conditions. Vestibular/balance disorders, including vertigo and dizziness, often associated with hearing loss, cause a number of conditions including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, fainting or light-headedness, nausea and imbalance.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older adults. While there are many reasons why older adults are at risk of falling including medications, vision loss, diabetes, heart disease and confusion; hearing loss also is associated with a higher risk for falling. “We know that there’s a direct link between hearing loss and falls,” said Catherine Palmer, Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Audiology;
Read Full Article
Why COVID-19 Infection Curves Behave so Unexpectedly
With the first COVID-19 epidemic peak behind them, many countries explained the decrease of infection numbers through non-pharmaceutical interventions. Phrases like "social distancing" and "flatten the curve" have become part of common vocabulary. Yet some explanations fell short: How could one explain the linear rise of infection curves, which many countries display after the first peak, in contrast to the S-shaped curves, expected from epidemiological models?
In a new paper published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America), scientists at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH) and the Medical University of Vienna are the first ones to offer an explanation for the linear growth of the infection curve.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 infection curves showed the expected exponential growth," says Stefan Thurner, CSH president
Read Full Article
Studies Link Vestibular/Balance Disorders and Dizziness to Hearing Ability and Falls in Older Americans
The American Academy of Audiology has partnered with the Vestibular Disorders Association for Balance Awareness Week, September 13 to 19, to remind Americans about the importance of good hearing health in preventing falls as well as other conditions. Vestibular/balance disorders, including vertigo and dizziness, often associated with hearing loss, cause a number of conditions including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, fainting or light-headedness, nausea and imbalance.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older adults. While there are many reasons why older adults are at risk of falling including medications, vision loss, diabetes, heart disease and confusion; hearing loss also is associated with a higher risk for falling. “We know that there’s a direct link between hearing loss and falls,” said Catherine Palmer, Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Audiology;
Read Full Article
ASHA Offers Educational Resources About Stuttering, Corrects Misconceptions Reported in Recent News Stories
With stuttering a topic of national interest in the news, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is correcting some recent misconceptions reported about the speech disorder and is encouraging people who stutter to seek help from speech-language pathologists (SLPs).
ASHA offers a variety of educational resources about stuttering at www.asha.org/stuttering-toolkit/, covering topics such as communication tips for people who stutter and their loved ones, when to seek help for stuttering, and treatment options for children and adults. Also included are public service announcements that feature Taro Alexander, ASHA’s 2019 Annie (Glenn) Award recipient and founder of SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young. A person who stutters himself, Alexander conveys—in compelling terms—what he experienced growing up and what the public can do to be helpful and understanding.
ASH
