As the aging population increases worldwide, so does the number of caregivers. There are an estimated 34 million Americans acting as caregivers for loved ones. This year, National Caregivers Day falls on Friday, February 21. We owe a great deal to those who are willing to dedicate themselves to ensure the aging generation is taken care of. At Starkey, we saw a need to provide the loved ones of those with hearing loss more innovative tools, which, in turn, can advance how they are able to care for others. We are changing the future of caregiving.

One of the biggest health concerns associated with hearing loss is loneliness. Often, an individual with hearing loss will become more socially isolated as they are unable to keep up with everyday conversation. This can have long-term, negative impacts on their mood, energy and desire to interact with others as they age. The former Surgeon General recently stated the health impacts of social isolation are similar to those caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For caregivers, it’s alarming to realize the potential health effects of loneliness. Starkey is dedicated to creating a better way for families and loved ones of those with hearing loss to monitor aspects of someone’s mental health and well-being.

At the biennial Starkey Expo last month, we announced revolutionary features that will be included in our newest hearing aid, Livio Edge AI. Among them is the Thrive Care App, which allows you to track a loved one’s physical activity and social engagement. Caregivers can monitor how much a hearing aid user has interacted with others on a given day and how much physical activity they’ve gotten. The Thrive Care app is designed to provide peace of mind for care providers and to help the hearing aid wearer live independently and safely.

When Starkey first released Livio AI hearing aid, we knew we had created a life-changing tool. Now, we’ve built on the incredible features to make an even more advanced hearing aid, Livio Edge AI. Our fall detection feature is an industry first and is completely changing what we thought hearing aids are capable of. Starkey’s Thrive App also allows Livio AI wearers to adjust their volume settings, create settings for specific environments and monitor their body and brain activity. Our technology has completely changed the possibilities of what hearing aids can provide to an individual and their caregiver.

It has always been my vision to create hearing aids that allow individuals with hearing loss to not only hear better, but to truly live better. Stakey has continued to push boundaries and reinvent the hearing aid to be a multi-purpose tool. I ask you to thank someone who is a caregiver on National Caregivers Day and each day. They do so much, and I’m proud that Starkey is able to use technology to help them. We are dedicated to providing the best technology possible to help you care for your loved ones with added peace of mind.