If you have a loved one with hearing loss, there’s a strong chance that you’re tired of raising your voice to talk to them, or having to repeat yourself several times a day. As a result, you may be more anxious to buy your loved one hearing aids than they are to wear them.
Before running out and purchasing your loved one hearing aids, consider the issues that may arise from your love one’s resistance.
Here are 4 of the most common obstacles you may need to overcome when convincing your loved one they need hearing aids.
Excuse 1. “I don’t have hearing loss.”
It can be hard to accept that your hearing isn’t what it used to be, and when you’ve experienced hearing loss for long enough, you start acclimating to life with hearing loss through coping strategies, such as turning up the TV’s volume or avoiding conversations in a crowded room.
To help counter your loved one’s denial of their hearing loss, gently point out their symptoms of hearing loss. Be sure to also point out how these instances of hearing loss affect others. This will help them realize that their hearing loss affects more than just them.
Excuse 2. “Hearing aids will make me look old.”
Vanity is one of the main reasons people resist wearing hearing aids, especially older folks. Since age-related hearing loss is one of the most common forms of hearing loss, people often associate hearing aids with getting older and believe that wearing hearing aids is for ‘old people.’
However, hearing loss doesn’t discriminate: Around 37 million American adults have hearing loss, along with 1.4 million children. In this way, both children and adults alike can benefit from wearing hearing aids.
If your loved one has hearing loss, and you're ready for them to start hearing better, visit our step-by-step guide to helping your loved one: Is Your Loved One Ready to Start Wearing Hearing Aids?
Excuse 3. “A lot of older people have hearing loss.”
Did you know that people often live with hearing loss for 7 to 10 years before doing anything about it? People with age-related hearing loss tend to put off getting hearing aids because they think, “If hearing loss is a part of being older, why should I do anything about it?”
What your loved one may not know is that untreated hearing loss can impact both their health and quality of life. Share the benefits of treating their hearing loss with them: For example, treating hearing loss can help to decrease depressive symptoms and delay dementia.
Excuse 4. “It takes too long to adjust to hearing aids.”
If your loved one has tried hearing aids in the past, they have probably realized that hearing aids don’t sound the same as the hearing they are used to. In fact, when first wearing hearing aids, our ears and brain require several weeks to adjust to our newly acquired ability to hear.
Hearing aids cannot restore hearing, but rather, they help our brains to better interpret the sounds being channeled to it. In this way, with time and patience, most anyone can adjust to the new way things sound through hearing aids.
The time spent adjusting to hearing aids is often worth it: Hearing better promotes a better well-being and gives one the opportunity to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of life once again, like a one-on-one conversation or listening to the radio.
The Good News
Sometimes, our loved one’s expectations are too high: Many times, when people get hearing aids, they expect for their hearing to be restored and to hear exactly how they did during their golden years.
However, the most common type of hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, is caused by permanent damage to the inner ear. Unfortunately, there is no way to repair this damage, but the good news it that hearing aids can help you to hear the best you can, despite the damage that’s occurred.
If your loved one is need of hearing aids, Advanced Affordable Hearing is here to help. Since 1996, Advanced Affordable Hearing has taken pride in offering hearing aids at a price you can afford. If you'd like to learn more about how we can help your loved one's hearing loss, contact us now.