Watching sports with Ted is incredibly difficult. Enjoying the game is impossible because the volume is cranked up so loud that the walls rattle. All you can hear is the thunder of the crowd pounding against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the commentator’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t by any means pleasant. But for Ted, the volume is normal. He requires the TV to be tremendously loud so he can hear it, which makes it rather obvious he needs a hearing aid. You’re just not certain how to talk to him that. It should be a simple conversation, but he seems overly sensitive about the topic.
The following are a few tips that might help.
Suggest a Basic Screening
Ted has to learn more about his hearing from a specialist. Other people may not sound as credible when they tell him about it. If that’s the case, the strategy will be getting Ted (or anybody like him) to come see us.
One of the following strategies may help you do that:
- Suggest the two of you go together for back-to-back assessments. This can make beginning the dialogue easier. It’s possible you’ll discover that you’ve experienced some hearing loss, as well (depending on how long you’ve been exposed to loud sound).
- Try making him feel more at ease by letting him know that it’s just a simple screening. In the vast majority of cases, hearing screenings are quick and easy. His hearing will be broken down by frequency on an audiogram. The meaning of the results can then be broken down by us.
Discuss Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss occurs slowly, often progressing so slowly it’s not noticeable. When this happens, you may pick up certain behaviors without recognizing it. You can hint in a subtle way that Ted needs a hearing aid by focusing on these behaviors.
Try something like the following:
- Remind Him that he’s not using the phone as much as he used to because he has a hard time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
- You could tell him your family has noticed he’s been having a difficult time hearing. Perhaps that’s why fewer individuals are going to his home to watch the Big Game each year, they have a hard time dealing with the loud television.
- Mention that you’ve noticed how frequently you’re “translating” for him. Here’s a hypothetical example: somebody is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to keep repeating what was said because he can’t hear them.
When you have these talks focusing on these behaviors, not the condition, will be the objective. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing loss, mention how his hearing loss impacts people in his life.
Talk About Hearing Aid Technology
Antiquated notions of how a hearing aid impacts your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some circumstances, results in reticence to use one. It may not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology utilized by contemporary hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- The technology of modern hearing aids is quite advanced. Thanks to connectivity, for example, your hearing aids will pair easily with your phone or even your TV speakers. This delivers amplified volumes without feedback or noise.
- Usually, modern hearing aids are so small you can’t even notice them. Not only that, modern hearing aids are incredibly comfortable for the wearer. They’re not cumbersome like they once were. They won’t even be noticed by most people.
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and translate them in real time as well as other additional features.
Hearing aids, for many people, are a perfect extension to their other smart technology. In this modern world, hearing aids are extremely useful and will help you enjoy activities like live streaming.
Highlight The Long-Term Advantages
Finally, take the time to emphasize the connection between hearing loss and mental health decline. To put it bluntly, hearing is crucial to a person’s mental health.
You will keep more of your hearing undamaged in the long run if you address your hearing loss as soon as you can. When you have hearing impairment, your ears have a hard time processing particular wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. When you simply turn up the volume you don’t fill in the specific frequencies that are missing.
Recognizing that your hearing can be preserved by getting treatment when you first notice signs of hearing impairment will help people like Ted feel comfortable getting the help they need.