How to Talk to a Loved One About Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be a touchy subject. If you’ve noticed that a loved one is exhibiting signs of hearing loss, your first instinct is likely to get them the help they deserve. It can be difficult watching them struggle in social situations where they cannot hear or need to constantly ask people to repeat themselves.

Over time, it can strain relationships and make the individual withdraw when in social situations. Getting a loved one the help they need can prove to be a tricky situation. Whether they’re too stubborn to listen to your concerns or you don’t feel comfortable bringing up the topic, it can leave you questioning what to do.

If you have a loved one experiencing hearing loss, El Dorado Hearing is here to help you come up with a game plan to talk to them about the next steps. Follow along so you can learn how to talk to a loved one about hearing loss.

Warning signs of hearing loss

Before bringing up your concerns with a loved one, it’s important to go through the warning signs of hearing loss so you can be sure that is what they are experiencing. Identifying the problems allows you to develop the most effective solution and restore their ability to interact with the world around them comfortably.

If you suspect your loved one has difficulty hearing, you may notice one or more of these signs:

• Asking people to repeat themselves
• Having difficulty holding conversations in noisy establishments
• Inability to hear high pitch noises
• Turning up the volume on the television or radio
• Complaining that others aren’t speaking loudly enough
• Struggling to hear when they can’t read the person’s lips

Oftentimes those suffering from hearing loss will try to hide their struggles due to feeling ashamed, but by acknowledging the problem, they’ll be able to find the treatment they need to restore their ability to hear.

Now that you know what to look for let’s dive into how you can help a loved one experiencing hearing loss.

How to talk to a loved one with hearing loss

You may feel uncomfortable talking to your loved one about your suspicions, but that doesn’t mean you should put off having the conversation. Before sitting down with them, take some time to organize your thoughts and come up with your game plan.

You want to explain to them what you’ve been noticing and how it seems to be affecting them — and how it affects you. There is a chance they don’t take the conversation well, so it is best to practice how you can reframe what you’re trying to say from a variety of angles (allowing you to feel confident working your way through the conversation).

Be tactful in approaching the conversation, as it can be a delicate subject, but make sure you share your concerns with them.

Some topics you can bring up include:

• Problems that happen if they do not address their hearing loss
• How they can regain their confidence by regaining control of their hearing
• Your desire to see them happy and engaged in social situations

You may need to have a few conversations before they are ready to listen. No matter how many tries it takes, the outcome should always be the same: having your loved one agree to a hearing test with an audiologist so they can get the treatment they need.

Schedule a hearing evaluation for a loved one

If your loved one is struggling to hear in everyday situations, you may be wondering how you can help them manage their hearing loss. The first step to addressing the problem is to schedule a diagnostic hearing evaluation with a hearing specialist to determine the problem and provide the best treatment plan to improve the patient’s hearing.

In many cases, the hearing specialist will recommend hearing aids to help amplify sounds — enabling your loved one to communicate with you effectively.

Call El Dorado Hearing to schedule a hearing consultation for your loved one. We’d be more than happy to assist and get their hearing back on track.