Firsthand | Experiences with aging
By Kristine Mortensen
My mother had excellent hearing. Our family used to joke that Nana was able to hear children whispering, well into her 90s, no matter where they were hiding in her house. (It’s true, she could.) But my dad needed hearing aids, as did all of his siblings. And because I physically resemble my dad’s side of the family, I long assumed the day might come when I would need hearing aids, too. And, so it has.
Fortunately, just as I came to that realization, I learned about a hearing loss and successful aging study that was seeking volunteers at the U of M. I applied for and was accepted into the ACHIEVE study, and, soon after my initial screening, was fitted with a pair of sleek, “smart” hearing aids in June 2018.
My hearing loss is moderate. Nevertheless, I am amazed by the difference I experience with my hearing aids. It’s simply wonderful. I can now easily hear the soft-spoken elementary school students I tutor; I have no trouble conversing with a small group of people in a noisy public place; and I can easily understand dialog, even poorly recorded, on TV—I simply stream the audio directly through my hearing aids!
In addition to hearing aids, the study equipped me with several communication strategies for making it easier to hear and understand. Foremost among them: Don’t bluff!
Hearing loss affects about one-third of all adults in the U. S. between ages 65 and 74 and more than half over age 75. In other words, hearing loss is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is normal.
Did you know that untreated hearing loss can increase your risk of falls? It can also lead to social isolation and cognitive decline, neither of which is conducive to healthy aging.
If you suspect you’re experiencing hearing loss, I encourage you to get your hearing tested by a qualified audiologist. A thorough evaluation includes testing to produce an audiogram—which charts your hearing at low, mid, and high frequencies—and to determine your ability to discriminate between similar sounding words. I did that annually for about three years before I eventually got my hearing aids, and it really helped when it came time to decide that hearing aids, for me, were no longer a “nice to have” but a “need to have.”
News
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details:
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
UMRA hosted delegates from 14 of the 18 schools in the Big Ten for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association conference in July. It was described as “the perfect collaboration” by two delegates we invited to share a few of their key takeaways from the conference.
Developing communication skills is the focus of two programs needing volunteers this fall: the “Reader/Writer Program,” assisting students in Minneapolis Public Schools grades 7-12 to develop literacy skills; and “Partners in English,” engaging in conversation with adults for whom English is not their first language.
After being unexpectedly sidelined at the outset of her retirement, Pam Snopl now enjoys doing many of the things retirees get to do, including reconnecting in person with family and friends, going to museums and weekday Minnesota Twins games, reading, and writing.
UMRA member George Swan retired in 2021 after 30+ years at University Libraries, but still returns to campus to visit one or another of the libraries at least twice a week in his current role as a student/retiree.
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees program is an annual competition for grants to support projects related to retirees’ research, instructional history, new scholarly or creative interests.
UMRA needs everyone to renew their membership for the coming year. Thank you if you’ve already renewed! If you haven’t, please renew right away.