Help a loved one
Helping loved ones with hearing loss, Understanding the importance of hearing care
Quality time with quality people, add meaning to the time you share with others
If someone close to you is showing signs of hearing loss, or has become functionally hard of hearing, it can be challenging in many ways. Often it is the communication in daily life and social activities that is affected first.
How best then to help people with hearing loss — especially family and loved ones?
Helping loved ones with hearing loss
Building a system that supports them and leads them on the path to well-hearing is vital. It adds meaning to the time you share together, and helps them understand that the beauty of sound is closer than they think.
Phonak and A1 Hearing Aid Centre understands the barriers people face when considering hearing aids and accessories, and we support family members by offering resources which assist with audiological care.
Thankfully, an increasing number of people are ready to improve their hearing care and quality of life with brilliant pieces of technology.
We’re here to help your loved one achieve all that — togetherness, well-being, improved quality of life and more. And to that end we have assembled useful tips which will help you speak to someone you love about their hearing loss and hearing care moving forward.
How to help people with hearing loss
Listen, help, repeat…
- Choose the right place-Choose a location which is private, comfortable, familiar, and free from background noise.
- Speak clearly — Make sure your loved one can see your face, and then speak clearly. Explain the signs of hearing loss you have already seen.
Facts about Hearing Loss - Show compassion — Many people deny hearing loss. It is incredibly common, and you should be ready for it. It’s often helpful to discuss advances in technology, and how they have changed the way hearing aids look and perform.
- Share how you are impacted — One example: the spouse of someone with hearing loss usually has become a spokesperson for group conversations. Other family members may also become ‘the voice.’
Some additional reasons are quite simple, like missed telephone calls. Others are more serious. For instance, the person affected by hearing loss may not hear warnings in traffic, or a cry for help from a loved one.
Explaining these and other scenarios you have encountered in daily life can help people with hearing loss understand the larger picture. This type of shared understanding also encourages many loved one to take the relevant next steps — for the sake of others — which they may not do for themselves. - Communicate the urgency of treatment — Don’t waste a day. As mentioned above, hearing loss and lost sound have been correlated to a number of health issues, such as increased risk of falls6 However, it’s equally important to share how your loved one can reconnect to the beauty of sound, such as being able to hear children and grandchildren, participate in social activities and so much more. Why wait another minute when they can be able to enjoy life again?!
Be a partner in the process. Travel the journey and discover sounds together. - Emphasize the ease of an online hearing test — It is an ideal way to check hearing. It is convenient, free, easy to use and only takes a few minutes. Check below to take online hearing test now.