Hearing impairment is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in the United States. While hearing loss can be an extremely sensitive topic to bring up with a loved one, living with a hearing impaired individual who refuses to seek help can be a very difficult situation to navigate. In many cases the spouse or family member of the affected person will fall into a pattern of co-dependency. In this situation, you may feel that you are helping by speaking loudly, repeating yourself, and interpreting conversations for your hearing impaired loved one. In fact by engaging in these behaviors you are making it easier for them to deny that there is a problem at hand. If your family member suffering from loss of hearing can rely on your ears, it gives them less motivation to seek out help. Here are some practical tips to encourage your loved one to get the help they need:
- Stop repeating yourself. This may feel a little bit like tough love, but if you eliminate this step and stop saying things twice (unless asked), it forces your loved one to say, “Excuse me?” This simple exchange makes it easier to start the conversation about a possible need for a hearing aide.
- Don’t shout. You may not even realize you’re doing it, but if you’re going to bed with a sore throat at the end of a day spent with your family member you are enabling them to deny the problem.
- Be informed. If you are reading this article, you’re on the right track. Looking up local audiologists, and hearing aide options prior to opening the door to this discussion will make presenting the problem easier. Nothing goes better with a problem than a list of solutions.
- Write it down. Having a conversation about hearing loss might just be an exercise in frustration, try writing down your concerns with some reasonable suggestions for how to seek help.
- Be sensitive. Try to imagine how socially isolating and difficult it must be for your loved one. Many people decide to address their hearing loss based on the concerns of their family members, but being pushy or bossy at this point will most likely have an adverse effect on your loved one.
- Be direct. Make sure your hearing impaired family member understands that you believe communication could be easier, and less stressful. Make sure they understand the impact their hearing loss is having on your relationship.
Due to the commonly gradual nature of hearing loss, it is easy to make adjustments to accommodate the problem without seeking outside help. There are so many viable options out there for hearing impaired individuals that suffering social isolation, losing telephone communication, and strain on interpersonal relationships is no longer necessary. It may not be an easy topic to address at first, but getting your loved one to an audiologist and on the path to improved hearing can make a world of difference.