Ways to Accommodate Your Loved Ones with Hearing Loss

It can be challenging to live with or maintain a close relationship to someone with hearing loss. A recent survey by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association found that 40% of Americans “experience some sort of household friction over hearing difficulties, most commonly frustration with the person who can’t hear.” The common end result is that people simply give up on communicating. But we lose so much when we don’t keep an open line of connection with our loved ones. And further, giving up on conversation with those who have hearing loss can lead them to feel isolated and depressed.

There isn’t an easy fix to communicating with a person who has difficulty hearing, but there are ways to better navigate conversation so that the experience is less burdensome for both of you. With practice and consistency, you can help maintain close relationships despite the impact of hearing loss on your experience.

Be patient and kind

It’s impossible and not at all likely that we can always be patient and kind first within all of our relationships and interactions. That’s a superhuman expectation and it’s best to just throw that idea out the window. 

But you can open the door to the possibility of trying to be more patient and kind with your loved one. Remember that as frustrating as it can be to try and communicate verbally with them, it’s exponentially more difficult to navigate our highly verbal world with hearing loss. Especially if their diagnosis or condition is more recent. Remember, your loved one is also mourning their previous ease in hearing and holding conversations with others. 

Patience and kindness applies to you, too. You are not required or expected to always be accommodating to your loved one, in spite of your own needs. If you recognize that your patience has worn thin and you need to retreat in order to rebuild your resilience, do that! Come back and try again when you are ready with more abundant emotional reserves.

Always speak face to face

You might be in the habit of yelling from another room or turning away from your loved one when you are speaking. If so, it’s time to nix that pattern. Instead, intentionally face them as you speak. Your facial expressions and movements of your mouth help people discern your words and meaning, particularly when hearing loss is present.

Speak clearly and rephrase

Try to not repeat yourself loudly, and definitely do not shout or yell, if your loved one asks you to repeat yourself. You might try instead to rephrase or reword what you’re trying to say. Because hearing loss happens within frequencies, for instance we tend to lose high frequency hearing first, it may be that the words you initially chose had frequencies your loved one can’t hear. Choosing different words increases the chance that they physically be able to hear more of what you are saying. 

Stay on topic

When you have a lot to say to someone, like a loved one or close friend, it can be tempting to zip back and forth between topics. This doesn’t help when speaking to someone with hearing loss. Context provides a lot of clues that are helping them to follow along with the verbal dialogue, so don’t abruptly change the subject and expect them to easily follow along. 

Text and email

It’s particularly important to use creative strategies if your loved one with hearing loss doesn’t live nearby and opportunities for face-to-face conversations are few and far between. Instead of dialing them up on the phone, try to cultivate a habit of sending an email or text message to tell them you are thinking about them or to share news of your life. (This applies to folks who share a household, too! If it’s easier, just try it out.)

Written communications are so much easier for people with hearing loss to participate in, and you’re relieving an enormous burden because telephone conversations can be very effortful. If your loved one is wary of technology like text and email, you might go back to old-fashioned letter writing. It’s truly a lost art in our fast and furious culture and can be a fun and relaxing hobby to engage in. 

Listen to them talk

Instead of having them do the heavy lifting of excessive listening, ask your loved one about their lives. Encourage them to talk about their experiences and even share with you how it feels to deal with hearing loss. Opening up avenues of vulnerability between you can increase empathy and understanding. True closeness can emerge as you share in their frustrations and challenges. Plus, you are doing the important work of helping them to unburden in the face of hearing loss, which can be an isolating experience.

Encourage loved ones to seek treatment

Studies show that the most persuasive reason people seek treatment is at the urging of friends and family. If they haven’t already had a hearing consultation and a hearing loss diagnosis from an audiologist, offer to make an appointment and even accompany them. Show your loved one that you support their journey toward healthier hearing. 

If you or a loved one are ready to experience the life changing benefits of hearing loss treatment, we’re here to help! Contact us today to schedule an appointment.