Football games with Ted are the worst. Enjoying the game is impossible because the volume is cranked up so loud that the walls rattle. All you can hear is the roar of the crowd hammering against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the commentator’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t at all enjoyable. But for Ted, the volume is normal. He requires the TV to be incredibly loud so he can hear it, which makes it rather clear he needs a hearing aid. You’re just not sure how to tell him that. His sensitivity about the topic makes what should be a simple conversation a lot more difficult.
These tips are a good place to start.
You Can Recommend he Gets a Basic Hearing Evaluation
Ted needs a specialist to educate him about his hearing. He may not believe other people when they tell him he needs a hearing aid. In that situation, the strategy will be getting Ted (or anybody like him) to come see us.
You may be able to accomplish that by using one of the following strategies:
- Suggest that both of you go together for back-to-back screenings. This is a beneficial way to broach a new medical situation. It’s possible you’ll discover that you’ve experienced some hearing loss, as well (it may depend on how long you’ve been exposed to a high-volume sound).
- Stress that he’ll only be undergoing a basic assessment. In the vast majority of cases, hearing screenings are fast and easy. His hearing will be broken down by frequency on an audiogram. The meaning of the information can then be clarified by us.
Chat About Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss is frequently undetectable because it advances so slowly. Certain subconscious behaviors frequently develop when this occurs. By focusing your conversation on those behaviors, you can subtly (or not so subtly) hint that Ted (or someone like him) needs a hearing aid.
Try some of these strategies:
- Point out instances where you need to translate what somebody said. It may happen like this: somebody is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to constantly repeat what was said because he can’t hear them.
- Informing him that his family has noticed him straining to hear. Perhaps that’s why fewer people are going to his home to watch the Big Game each year, they have a difficult time dealing with the loud television.
- Remind Him that he’s not talking on the phone as much as he once did because he has a difficult time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
The goal during these discussions is to keep your discussion centered on these behaviors rather than the ailment. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing impairment, point out how his hearing loss effects people in his life.
Emphasize The Technology in Modern Hearing Aids
Outdated notions of how a hearing aid impacts your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some cases, results in reluctance to use one. It might not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology employed by contemporary hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- Modern hearing aids are usually very small and almost entirely unseen to the naked eye. Not only that, modern hearing aids are amazingly comfortable for the wearer. They aren’t the big and cumbersome units of the past. Most people will most likely never detect you’re wearing them.
- Some hearing aids have extra features, like the ability to translate in real-time or track important biometrics better than some commercial fitness trackers.
- Modern hearing aids carry an immense amount of technology. Thanks to connectivity, for instance, your hearing aids will pair easily with your phone or even your television speakers. With this tech, the volume of your devices will be increased without feedback and noise.
Hearing aids, for many people, are a perfect extension to their other smart technology. In this modern world, hearing aids are incredibly useful and will help you enjoy activities such as live streaming.
Promote The Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to point out the long-term benefits of hearing aids, which have been demonstrated to help people keep (or recover) mental equity. To put it bluntly, hearing is critical to a person’s cognitive health.
The sooner you manage your hearing loss, the more hearing you’re likely to keep over time. When you have hearing impairment, your ears have a hard time processing specific wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. Simply turning your television volume up is no substitute for this valuable technology.
Understanding that your hearing can be preserved by getting treatment when you first observe signs of hearing impairment will help people like Ted feel comfortable getting the help they need.