Living with hearing issues can be lonely, especially if the person used to be able to hear. All of a sudden, people are left out of conversations they used to be able to follow and activities they used to be able to enjoy.
For many people with hearing issues, a lack of support from their family and friends is one of the biggest factors in their feelings of isolation and loneliness. People who haven’t experienced this problem often don’t know what to do to help.
If you know someone with hearing issues and want to be supportive, here are a few tips that can guide you as you help your loved one feel connected with the world again.
Encourage Them to Seek Treatment
One of the most important things you can do for someone going through hearing issues is encourage them to seek treatment. Researchers estimate that a person with hearing loss generally waits 10 years before receiving the right medical help. There are a few reasons for this, including slow progression of symptoms, long waits for specialists, and shame around disability.
If you notice that one of your loved ones is showing signs of hearing issues, encourage them to see a doctor as soon as possible. The modern technology of Widex hearing aids and other assistive devices enhances hearing abilities without disrupting a person’s life. New hearing aids are elegant and unobtrusive, reducing the stigma and shame around needing assistance.
Hearing aids and proper treatment can drastically improve the quality of life of someone with hearing issues. They reduce physical symptoms and mental health issues such as isolation, anxiety, and loneliness. Getting treatment at the right time can also reduce the risks of long-term conditions associated with hearing loss, such as dementia.
One reason why people wait many years before seeking treatment for hearing loss is the difficulty in accessing specialists. Communicating with doctors’ offices is difficult enough without a disability that affects your communication. Offer to help by making phone calls on behalf of the patient or attending to appointments with them.
Change the Way You Speak
An important way you can make someone with hearing issues feel included is to change the way you speak—and that doesn’t mean shouting at them.
Medical experts recommend speaking clearly and slowly, making sure to enunciate properly rather than slurring or blending your words. While the common perception is that speaking louder makes it more likely for someone with hearing loss to understand you, this is actually not true. Yelling actually makes words less clear and can even cause pain, especially if someone’s hearing aid settings are turned up.
While you are speaking with someone with hearing loss, make sure that you are facing them and that your face and mouth are in full view. Many people with hearing issues rely on lip reading to supplement their understanding of a conversation. Even if someone doesn’t know how to lip-read, they’ll find it easier to focus if you are making eye contact.
Do your best to remember these tips when you are speaking with someone with hearing loss. Adjusting how you talk will make them feel included in conversations.
Understand When They Don’t Want to Talk
While people with hearing issues still want to be included in conversations and daily life, remember that speaking and listening are far more exhausting for them than it is for you. After a while, they may need time where they can just sit by themselves and not strain to be part of a conversation.
Many people whose loved ones have hearing issues report feeling upset by this at first because it seems as if the person is not valuing their efforts at inclusion. Try to see things from the other person’s point of view and give them time to unwind if they need it.
Remember that despite your best efforts at inclusion, spoken conversations will always be harder for someone with hearing issues.
Don’t Draw Attention to Their Hearing Loss
Someone who is going through hearing issues is still the same person they were before. They are still just as intelligent, with the same interests, sense of humor, and preferences. They are not defined by their hearing loss.
Too often, well-meaning family members and friends wind up making a big deal over someone’s hearing loss, which embarrasses the person. While it is admirable to want to advocate for someone, make sure that you are not crusading when they don’t want you to. Check in with the person before calling someone out at a family gathering or complaining to a business about a lack of accommodations.
You should also avoid drawing too much attention to someone’s disability in conversation. People often get embarrassed about not being able to hear, especially those who develop hearing problems later in life. Many will try to cover up their hearing loss by pretending they understood something in a conversation or changing the subject.
Avoid making a big deal out of repeating yourself or directly confronting someone for not understanding you. This just causes more embarrassment and feelings of isolation for the person with hearing issues.
Instead, try subtle workarounds to make sure you communicate your point. Rephrase what you said instead of outright repeating yourself, and ask leading confirmation questions to make sure that the other person understood you. Remember that a person with hearing issues still wants to listen to you; they just have a harder time doing so.
Supporting Someone Through Changes in Their Hearing
Someone experiencing hearing issues is going through major changes in the way that they communicate and interact with the world. As their loved one, you can take steps to make those changes easier, such as adjusting your communication style and helping with medical treatments.
While hearing issues are often associated with isolation and mental health issues, this does not have to be the case. People who have supportive friends and family by their side during hearing loss report fewer mental health problems and are able to thrive even as they go through this major change.
Minor adjustments and a little empathy can make a big difference to someone with hearing issues.