How to Help People with Hearing Loss

Many times we see people, related to a person with a disability, worrying about how they can help their loved ones live a life with a minimum amount of trouble due to the disability. Several parents, partners, children and even friends are stressed out when they think about their loved ones facing issues in their lives because of the disability. In addition, much like other ‘visible’ disabilities, hearing impairment also poses several hurdles for the patients.   

According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 80 percent of the people in need of hearing tests and hearing aids fail to get them. Among several reasons for not getting a hearing test, one of the most significant ones is the patient’s inability to admit he or she has a problem. Patients either do not realize that they have an aggravating problem or they hesitate in wearing hearing aids since the hearing aids reveal their disability to the world.  

However, there are several ways you can help your loved ones lead a normal life despite the hearing impairment.   

Show them your support

You can help your loved ones by showing your support. You can show them that you care about them and that you are truly concerned about their health. You should be patient and calm while dealing with them since they would already be frustrated and agitated because of the disability. With your help and support, they might be able to get proper medical help.  

Explain how their hearing impairment is affecting people around them

We humans want to protect the people we care about the most. Now, the same way you would be concerned about the patients facing issues in dealing with their normal life, they too would be concerned about the failure to get the right treatment options and how their disability is a hassle for you. By making they realize how much you care for them and how much their disability is increasing the gap between you and the patient, you can encourage them to receive medical help.  

Find role models

Whenever we develop a weakness, we try to hide it from the world. People with disabilities are no different as they too try to hide their disabilities from others by not seeking medical help.   

In order to beat their shyness, you should introduce them to others facing similar problems but have sought assistance. These could be celebrities, their colleagues, relatives, friends or even strangers. By interacting with people who have overcome their hearing problem, your loved one can be motivated to do the same.  

Recommend a demo

Since hearing loss occurs over a period of time, patients fail to realize the things they have lost out on in life. From the inability to hear TV at a low volume to asking people to repeat themselves, patients fail to realize what is normal and what is not. Thus, patients feel that their disability is not impacting them significantly.  

However, in order to make them understand what they have been missing out on, you can ask them to try out hearing aids for some time to analyze everything they have been missing out on. Once they start using these devices, they will grow the need for them.   

If you suspect someone you know has hearing loss encourage them to find a hearing care provider in their area and address their condition as soon as possible!