Sometimes it may be difficult for your loved one to act on a hearing loss, even if you’ve noticed their quality of life has diminished due to not being able to hear. Recently, my friend had concerns about her inability to understand speech especially in places with background noise. Although she has been wearing hearing aids for many years, going to discuss her hearing loss and acknowledging possible further degradation of hearing has been a scary and emotional event. I started accompanying her to audiologist appointments after learning about the importance of having support during these visits. I hope the following tips I picked up along the way will assist others in being a supportive companion to someone who needs hearing help:
The first step of seeking help is always the hardest, especially if your loved one has not yet addressed their hearing loss but has acknowledged that they may need help. Not knowing what to expect or feeling embarrassed about a possible health issue may cause the person with hearing loss to put off a trip to the hearing health professional.
Sit down with your loved one in a private, quiet setting, and talk about what they may be experiencing and how their hearing has been affecting them recently. If you have noticed a change in their hearing, bring up some examples in a kind way, acknowledging that you want them to remain comfortable and fully engaged in the things that they love. Ask what their feelings are about visiting a professional for a hearing test and acknowledge any reservations they may have.
After listening to your loved one, suggest that you both spend some time looking at new innovations in hearing technology. One of the top reasons that people don’t act on their hearing loss or adopt hearing aids is because of the misunderstanding of what technology today is really like.
Today’s options are equipped with incredibly sophisticated computer chips located in tiny casings that fit within or behind your ear. It’s likely that there are already people in your life who wear hearing aids and you have no idea! By reading about the newest technology, you and your loved one can become educated on how the technology works and what features your loved one may like to try. Many hearing aids now come equipped with Bluetooth to stream audio from your phone directly to your ears, have rechargeable capabilities, and offer a variety of settings to assist the wearer in hearing their best no matter what listening situation they may be in. Plus, most hearing aids that sit behind the ear come in a variety of colors to match hair -- or personality!
Once your loved one is ready to explore the next step, spend some time looking at local hearing health professionals online. Once you find an accessible professional, review their website and ratings online to see if this would be a good fit for the person with hearing loss. If you have questions, call the hearing health professionals office to ask as many questions as needed to ensure your loved one is prepared for a possible visit.
This may be one of the most unique suggestions on how to spend a day with your loved one, but may be the most influential in encouraging a friend to act on hearing loss. I learned this helpful idea after my parents and I attended the Walk4Hearing to support the Hearing Loss Association of America. During the event, participants had a chance to get their hearing tested in a sound booth by a professional. My family had been trying to get my dad to have his hearing tested for years after a life full of concerts and guitar playing, but he had not yet acted. My mom offered to get her hearing tested with him, and they both had a great experience talking to the professionals and getting a very quick and painless test. As suspected, my dad’s results showed moderate to severe hearing loss that he is now speaking with his local audiologist about. In turn, he will also soon meet his new audiologist and bring my grandmother along who needs her hearing addressed so they can begin this new chapter of hearing together – and each other! Even if you don’t suspect that you have hearing loss, it’s a good practice to have your hearing tested to understand your baseline hearing levels.
Be sure to not force your loved one into acting quicker than they feel comfortable, but do remind them that treating hearing loss can reduce their risk of falls, lengthier hospitalization stays, depression, and loneliness. Further hearing health facts and resources to begin your discussion can be found on Hearing.org.
The Hearing Industries Association is the trusted voice on hearing health care for product innovation, public policy, patient safety and education.
