Help Your Loved Ones
Hearing loss affects one in five Americans over 12. It not only affects the hard-of-hearing person, it impacts the entire family. It’s frustrating when you talk to someone and you have to repeat what you’ve said. The conversation gets interrupted and there’s a breakdown in the spontaneity of communication. Sometimes you decide that what you just said is not worth repeating. You find yourself saying, “Never mind,” more often causing your loved one to feel left out. Simple statements and questions begin to substitute the longer, more interesting discussions you once had. This results in a loss of intimacy and a sense of loneliness.
It All Starts with Compassion.
For the hard-of-hearing person, it is exasperating to ask people to speak louder only to have them drop their voices at the end of a sentence. And when people speak louder it often sounds like they’re annoyed or angry since the intonation of one’s voice changes. This, coupled with arguments over the volume of the TV, causes defensiveness and a lowering of self-esteem.
You’d like to help your loved ones but most people with hearing loss don’t want to admit to having a loss. They may fear it looks like a sign of weakness or old age. It’s easier to accuse you of mumbling than to admit their problem. They may also have an outdated view of hearing aids. Ironically, untreated hearing loss is much more obvious than a hearing aid.
End the Blame Game
No one is to blame for hearing loss. Anyone suffering from gradual hearing loss will likely go through a grieving process before they will seek help. This process includes stages of denial, sadness, anger, and finally acceptance of one’s hearing problem. You can help a loved one through this process more easily by doing the following. Do not criticize, condemn, or make fun of your loved one and their hearing problems. Use “I” statements rather than “you” statements. The next time you are accused of mumbling, say. , “I’m concerned about your hearing. Would you please get your hearing checked?” That’s it! Don’t justify your request, justifying your request sets up the possibility of a power struggle; taking the focus away from the real problem, their hearing loss. Get informed, read the pages on this website about hearing loss and solutions. The more information and awareness you have, the sooner your loved one will go through this grieving process and seek help. Don’t talk about a hearing aid, talk about a hearing test. Even if your loved one does not think he or she needs help, our Free Hearing Test will tell them exactly what they’re hearing and what they’re missing. That’s the first step.
Coming to terms with hearing loss can be difficult. Be gentle with yourself and your loved one.