How to Support Hearing-Impaired Loved-Ones?

Those with hearing-impaired loved ones know that can be a bit of a challenge at times. Having hearing loss can sometimes put a strain on personal relationships. It can be tiring for both people involved, as extra effort must be put into communication. It’s important to act with empathy, patience and understanding.

Learn what it’s like to have hearing loss

If you aim to understand what your loved one is going through you can learn to be more patient with them. It’s a good idea to really try to put yourself in their shoes. This will give you a new level of empathy and strengthen the relationship. To help yourself relate, audiologists have created simulations online you can try. These create the sensation of what it’s like to have hearing loss. Use this technology to see the world from their point of view. Talk to them about your experience and ask them and their audiologist questions. The more you show an interest, the more comfortable they will be and this will all help to paint a clearer picture of what it’s like to live with impaired hearing.

Offer support in group situations 

Group social situations can be difficult especially for those with hearing loss as there are different exchanges going on at the same time and a lot of background noise gets in the way. The best way to be an advocate for a loved one with hearing loss is by anticipating any difficulties they might have. If possible, it’s a good idea to make friends and family aware of the right etiquette and some tips and tricks in conversation. You could sit next to them if they need any part of the conversation repeated. Depending on your relationship, you could also give them a hand in public places and with other tasks that might be problematic like telephone reservations and asking for specific requirements. Speak to an audiologist for any advice.

Dos and don’ts

Helping your friend or family member is one thing but try not to leave them out of situations or patronize them. Sometimes repeating yourself loudly just doesn’t work, and there are better ways to communicate. Here are some helpful dos and don’ts: Do:

• Use friendly gestures and facial expressions to help communication
• Rephrase what was misheard rather than repeating it
• Speak face-to-face and with eye contact
• Be patient

Don’t:

• Shout or clap to get their attention
• Speak quickly and loudly
• Simply repeat yourself in a louder voice
• Say things like never mind or It doesn’t matter

It’s not polite if someone doesn’t feel included in the conversation for whatever reason. Saying that it doesn’t matter and not bothering to explain yourself could make them feel worse. Instead, learn to support them with patience and understanding. Raising your voice isn’t necessarily helpful. Trying to use different words that might be easier to understand is often more effective. It’s even a better idea to learn to laugh about misunderstandings as well, make them feel at ease. Eye contact and body language can go a long way. If it’s still too noisy to understand each other where you are, move to another room where you can talk.

Find out more about treatments and hearing aids

At some point, it might be an idea to show your support by attending a hearing care appointment. Speaking to an audiologist will be very informative and help you to understand more about living with hearing loss. The audiologist will also be able to give you more information about different types of aural rehabilitation, hearing aids and cochlear implants. Learn more about the different types of hearing loss, and which one your loved one has. Ask how to take care of the device they use, so you can help out. Be as involved as they want you to be. If you live together communication is important, you could make things easier by using a message board or pad.

Learn to talk about it

If someone close to you has hearing loss, it’s natural that it might cause you to worry. Don’t be afraid to express concern about potential dangers that might affect them if they don’t take the relevant steps to better hearing. It’s important to try to be honest and patient with one another. A certified audiologist at Hearing Wellness Centre will always be available for any help and advice. If you think someone you care about needs advice from an audiologist, or to learn more about the Hearing Wellness Centre call at (844) 663-9433.