Hearing Loss & Cognitive Health in West Jordan, UT
This page is for two people in West Jordan: the person asking others to repeat themselves and wondering whether their focus is slipping, and the adult child watching a parent pull back from family dinners. Cognitive health in West Jordan starts with hearing, and our team treats it that way. Our founder, Dr. Layne Garrett, is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and serves on the State of Utah Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Council, and our South Jordan clinic is about 10 to 15 minutes away.
Can treating hearing loss protect cognitive health?
Untreated hearing loss is linked to faster cognitive decline, and the 2024 Lancet Commission named it one of the two largest modifiable risk factors for dementia. Treating it won’t cure or prevent dementia, but in the ACHIEVE trial, hearing care slowed cognitive decline by about 48% over three years in older adults at higher risk. For families focused on cognitive health in West Jordan, a brain-focused hearing evaluation is where that protection starts.
What the Research Shows About Hearing and Cognitive Health
Picture a West Jordan grandfather at Sunday dinner. The grandkids are talking over each other, and he smiles and nods, but he’s stopped trying to follow along. Across the table, his daughter notices he’s quieter than he used to be and wonders whether it’s his memory or something else. They’re both asking the right question.
When the ears send a weaker signal, the brain has to work harder to fill in the gaps. That listening effort pulls mental energy away from memory and focus, and people with untreated hearing loss often pull back from conversations that have become exhausting. Over years, researchers believe that extra load and reduced engagement may take a toll on the brain.
The ACHIEVE trial
The ACHIEVE trial, published in The Lancet in 2023, followed adults aged 70 to 84 with hearing loss for three years. Across the whole study, hearing care didn’t significantly change the rate of cognitive decline. Among participants already at higher risk, though, those who received hearing care showed about 48% less cognitive decline than the comparison group. It’s one of the most hopeful findings in the field, because hearing loss is something families can actually act on.
The 2024 Lancet Commission
The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention identified 14 modifiable risk factors and estimated that addressing them could prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases. Hearing loss and high LDL cholesterol in midlife were the two largest. Long-term research from Johns Hopkins, led by Dr. Frank Lin, has consistently linked untreated hearing loss to faster cognitive decline.
Watch: Hearing Loss and Dementia, What the Research Really Shows
Dr. Layne Garrett walks through the research linking hearing loss and dementia, what it does and doesn’t show, and practical steps you can take now.
Why So Many Families Never Hear About This Connection
Hearing loss creeps in slowly, and it’s easy to blame other things: tired ears, mumbling grandkids, a noisy restaurant. Many people go years before the change feels real.
It also falls between two kinds of care. Primary care visits move fast and rarely include a hearing screen, and many hearing clinics treat the problem as a device sale rather than a medical condition. The brain-health conversation gets skipped on both sides. That gap is what our evaluation is built to close for families concerned about cognitive health in West Jordan.
Families often notice first. A spouse or adult child sees the quieter dinners, the TV turned up loud, the skipped phone calls. If that describes someone you love, you’re not overreacting. You’re paying attention.
What a Brain-Focused Hearing Evaluation Includes
Most hearing tests answer one question: can you detect tones? Because the brain does the hard work of understanding speech, our evaluation looks further. Plan on 90 to 120 minutes, and family members are welcome to come along.
- Hearing sensitivity across the full range of pitches
- Speech understanding in quiet and in background noise
- Cognitive screening with Cognivue, an FDA-cleared computerized screening tool, when it’s appropriate
- A conversation about mood, sleep and social engagement
- Real Ear Measurement verification of any hearing aids, new or existing
Every provider on our team is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, so cognitive health shapes how we approach every one of these visits. Want a quick read on your own brain health first? Try our Brain Care Score.
Why Standard Hearing Care Falls Short for Brain Health
A hearing aid in a drawer does nothing for the brain, and neither does one that misses its prescription. What helps is a device that actually delivers the right sound, plus rehabilitation that helps the brain adapt. That’s why every fitting is verified with Real Ear Measurement, and why every new patient receives LACE AI auditory training. You can read more about our process on the hearing aids in West Jordan page.
We fit hearing aids from Starkey, Oticon, Phonak, Widex, Signia, and ReSound — among others. Brand is a tool, not a recommendation. The fitting protocol and follow-up care matter more than the logo on the device.
Watch: Hearing Aids vs. Memory Scores
A major seven-year study found lower dementia rates in hearing aid users even though their memory test scores looked similar. Dr. Garrett explains why those findings fit together, and why treating hearing loss before 70 may matter most.
Our Approach to Cognitive Health in West Jordan
West Jordan has more than 115,000 residents, and while it’s a younger city, it’s also home to many older adults and the families who care for them. We serve them from our South Jordan clinic. Every plan treats hearing loss as the chronic medical condition it is, with diagnostic testing, verified fittings, follow-up care, quarterly servicing, supplies and hearing rehabilitation to help the brain relearn sound.
Hearing loss and tinnitus often travel together, and ringing can add to the mental load. We’re one of the first 10 Modern Tinnitus Specialty Centers in the United States and Utah’s sole Lenire Preferred Provider, and My Tinnitus Therapy, our CBT-based coaching program, helps when tinnitus is part of the picture. See our tinnitus treatment in West Jordan page for more.
A Family’s Story
One patient, a retired manufacturing supervisor, came to us after years of turning up the TV. His wife noticed he’d stopped joining conversations at church, and his daughter worried about his memory. He’d tried big-box hearing aids a few years earlier, but they never felt right and ended up in a drawer. By the time he came in, the family assumed the problem was his mind.
A full evaluation, including speech-in-noise testing, showed significant hearing loss, and his old devices had never been verified to his prescription. We refit him with Real Ear Measurement and started hearing rehabilitation.
A few months in, my dad was telling stories at dinner again. We thought we were losing him. It turned out he just couldn’t hear us. Getting him back at the table changed everything for our family.
Daughter of a patient, Salt Lake Valley
Nothing was cured. His brain simply started getting the signal it had been missing, and his focus and engagement came back with it.
Honest Outcomes: What Treatment Can and Can’t Do
Treating hearing loss won’t reverse cognitive decline that has already happened, and no hearing aid cures dementia. Anyone who claims otherwise isn’t being straight with you.
What treatment can do is still meaningful. It can reduce the ongoing strain of listening, help you re-engage with family and conversation, and, based on the ACHIEVE findings, may slow future decline in people at higher risk. For many families, getting that connection back is worth everything.
For Referring Physicians
We welcome referrals from West Jordan primary care providers, neurologists and geriatric specialists, including clinicians at Jordan Valley Medical Center. Because hearing loss is a modifiable dementia risk factor, a cognitive hearing evaluation fits naturally into brain-health workups and fall-risk assessments. Evaluations include pure-tone audiometry, speech-in-noise testing and cognitive screening, and we send clear, actionable reports so you stay informed about your patient’s cognitive health in West Jordan and beyond.
Is This Evaluation Right for You or Someone You Love?
This evaluation is a strong fit if:
- You’re having more trouble following conversations in noise and want to understand the brain-health side of it
- You’re an adult child or spouse watching a loved one withdraw, and you want answers before assuming it’s memory loss
- You have a family history of cognitive decline and want to address modifiable risk early
- You’ve been told your hearing is fine but still struggle in daily life
- You own hearing aids that have never been verified with Real Ear Measurement
It may not be the right fit if you’re simply looking for the cheapest device with no follow-up. That approach does little for the brain, so it isn’t how we practice.
Frequently Asked Questions from West Jordan Patients and Families
No. Treatment does not prevent or cure dementia. But the 2023 ACHIEVE trial found that hearing care slowed cognitive decline by about 48% over three years in older adults at higher risk, and the 2024 Lancet Commission named hearing loss one of the two largest modifiable risk factors for dementia. Treating it is one of the most practical steps a family can take.
Our South Jordan clinic at 10437 S 1300 W, Suite 250, provides brain-focused hearing evaluations for West Jordan patients and is usually about 10 to 15 minutes away. You can reach the South Jordan clinic at (801) 441-6838.
You are not alone. The person with hearing loss is often the last to notice. Frame it around connection rather than criticism, such as wanting him back in family conversations. You are welcome to come to the appointment with him.
A standard test checks whether you can detect tones. Our evaluation also measures speech understanding in noise and includes cognitive screening when appropriate, led by Certified Dementia Practitioners. It gives a fuller picture of how hearing affects daily brain function.
Often, yes. Many hearing aids underperform because they were never verified to the patient’s prescription. We verify every fitting with Real Ear Measurement and can check existing devices too, so the brain actually gets the sound it needs.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Most West Jordan residents concerned about hearing and cognitive health have never had a brain-focused hearing evaluation. That’s where we start. Your first consultation is free. Request it online, or call us at (385) 284-2739 to schedule. If you’re scheduling for a parent or spouse, you’re welcome at the appointment, and we’ll make sure everyone leaves with a clear picture of what we found.
Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus — South Jordan (nearest to West Jordan)
10437 S 1300 W, Suite 250, South Jordan, UT 84095
Phone: (801) 441-6838
Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Prefer Utah County? Our American Fork clinic, 343 S 500 E, also welcomes West Jordan patients: (801) 763-0724, Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Meet Your South Jordan Care Team
Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus was founded by Dr. Layne Garrett in American Fork in 2003 — his hometown, where his grandfather Dr. Guy Richards served as the town doctor. His path to audiology began on an LDS mission to the Deaf in Boston, where he witnessed firsthand the life-changing power of restored communication. Today Dr. Garrett leads the practice as founder and clinical director, setting the standard of care that runs through everything we do.
Dr. Levi Lundquist, Au.D., CCC-A, ABAC, CH-TM
Doctor of Audiology
Dr. Lundquist grew up in Payson, Utah and discovered his passion for audiology in high school. He earned his Bachelor’s in Communicative Disorders from Utah State University and his Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Utah. He is certified by the American Board of Audiology, holds his Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA, and is certified in Tinnitus Management. Meet Dr. Lundquist →
Jessica Nelson, BC-HIS, CDP
Director of Treatment
Jessica has spent more than 15 years helping patients reconnect with the people and moments that matter most. As a Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist and our Director of Treatment, she designs treatment plans built for long-term clarity and comfort and oversees how hearing aids are fit and verified across our clinics. Meet Jessica →
Dr. Layne Garrett, Au.D., FAAA, ABAC, CH-TM, CDP
Founder & Clinical Director
Dr. Garrett earned his Au.D. from Salus University and spent time at Sonic Innovations training audiologists nationally before founding this practice. He is certified by the American Board of Audiology, is an American Board of Audiology Certificate Holder—Tinnitus Management (CH-TM), and is one of the few audiologists in Utah certified as a Dementia Practitioner. Under his clinical leadership, Timpanogos Hearing & Tinnitus has been recognized as Best of State in Auditory Services 15 times and designated one of the first 10 Modern Tinnitus Specialty Centers in the United States. Learn more about Dr. Garrett →
Serving West Jordan and the Southwest Salt Lake Valley
Our South Jordan clinic supports hearing and cognitive health for West Jordan and nearby communities, including Riverton, Herriman, South Jordan, Sandy, Draper and Bluffdale. For all of our services, visit the West Jordan audiologist page, or learn more about hearing and brain health in Utah.