If you have a loved one who’s just been diagnosed with hearing loss, you might feel like you want to help them but don’t know how. Let’s look at four ways you can offer your support.
1. Attend Their Hearing Aid Appointment
A 2022 study found that attending a loved one’s hearing appointment could significantly increase the likelihood that they successfully adopt hearing aids.[1] Ask your loved one if it would be helpful for you to attend their appointment with them. You could take notes, ask questions or just be there to support them emotionally.
2. Communicate Effectively
When you’re speaking to someone with hearing loss, you need to ensure you’re communicating effectively. Try the following to create better two-way communication:
- Look at your loved one while you’re speaking; don’t talk from a different room or while looking down at your phone
- Rephrase yourself or add context when something isn’t understood
- Avoid over-emphasizing your words, raising your voice or slowing your speech unless asked
Your loved one may have their own methods of communicating effectively. Feel free to ask them what they find most helpful and go from there.
3. Find New Hang-Out Spots
Hearing loss can make communicating in noisy environments especially difficult. Next time you’re planning a get-together, consider quieter locations, like coffee dates at Youngblood’s Café over a noisier venue. Be open to new places, but try not to make unilateral decisions about what your loved one needs; involve them in the event planning and let them tell you which environments work best.
4. Listen
One of the best ways you can support your loved one is just to listen to them. A new hearing loss diagnosis can cause emotions ranging from frustration at the condition to joy at finally having answers. Whatever your loved one is feeling, listen attentively; you don’t need to solve anything, just be there.
If you want to learn more about hearing loss to better support your friend, check out our blog posts at Amarillo Hearing Clinic.
[1] Ellis, B. K., Singh, G., & Launer, S. (2022). Hearing Aid Adoption is Associated with the Type of Significant Other in Attendance at Hearing Care Appointments. Trends in hearing, 26, 23312165221131703. https://doi.org/10.1177/23312165221131703
