Addressing a Loved One’s Hearing Loss

Hearing loss that goes untreated can have a negative impact on your life. It can cause dementia, depression, social isolation, stress, and raise the risks of falling.

Not only does the person who has hearing loss suffer from it, but family members and friends also bear the brunt of their loved one’s hearing deficiency. The need to repeat things during conversations becomes tiresome and exasperating. It’s also difficult to notice when their loved one begins to distance themselves and avoids socializing.

Do Not be an Enabler when They are in Denial

Help your loved one get help for their hearing loss, by directly discussing the issue. Give them a gentle reminder each time they ask you to reiterate or paraphrase what they missed in the conversations. But do not allow your repetitions for them to be a crutch. Constantly repeating yourself may prevent them from trying to get help for their hearing loss.

Schedule a Hearing Test for Them

Offer to make an appointment with a hearing care professional, and go along with your loved one to their exam. You may also want to do some research and pinpoint the specific issues that your loved one has, so that both of you will feel comfortable and prepared during the appointment. You can search through here for resources.

Write down any questions and concerns that you have and bring that list to your appointment. Your hearing professional will go over your results, suggest the best treatments, and address any questions you have. 

Be Patient with Your Loved One

If your loved one is resistant to getting help for their hearing loss, be patient, but persistent. Most hearing aid wearers wait 5-7 years before they actually try to get help. Your loved one most likely knows that they have hearing loss, but need more reassurance from others. 

There’s so much to gain from getting treatment for your hearing loss. If they finally decide to get hearing aids, it’s important to know that adapting to hearing aids takes time, so they need to be patient.   
 
Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. ​

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