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Eldercare – Does an Elderly Person I Know Need a Hearing Aid?

By Esther Hansen

The absolute worst way to answer the hearing aid question is with an unqualified YES! You may have absolutely no doubt that the person you care about would benefit from the help of a hearing aid. But does he recognize the need? Is he prepared for this kind of help?

You perceive the unmistakable signs. The volume on the TV is turned up well beyond what is comfortable for the average listener.. Conversation is often interrupted by the need for repetition: ” What did you say?” “Excuse me?” “Would you say that again, please?” Words go unheard that you fail to address directly to the one for whom they are intended.

All of this is quite obvious to the caring relative or caregiver who begins to take note of the signs. It will be quite normal and natural to discuss the matter at once and to want to ACT! Of course you want to help, but is the person you care about ready for this kind of help? Is he/she prepared to accept the reality of a hearing loss.?

Here are some typical responses:
· “Why do people mumble so? They don’t speak up.”
· “People talk too fast.”
· “I just turn up the volume on the TV to normal; it’s not loud.”
· “I don’t want people to think I can’t hear.”
· “I don’t like the way those things look.”
· “I don’t need a lot of testing. I can hear quite well.”

If the individual is extremely defensive or angry, it may well be best to drop the subject. Simply having brought it up may be enough for the time being. Some other time the elderly person may be more accepting.

Meanwhile, the would-be helper can also consider a few important questions, like these:
·How much do I know about hearing aid services?
·Have I talked with anyone who seems to be at ease with wearing hearing aids? Where did he get them? Does he trust the audiologist? Is regular, free service provided to the hearing aid user?
·Are the costs involved affordable? Are payment plans available if necessary?
·Can the prospective hearing aid user be trusted to take the simple steps needed to care for them and keep them easily available when not in use?

Careful thought about these questions can make it easier to broach the subject a second time. Ongoing resistance, however, is not unusual. If a person is dead set against it, the question of hearing aids had best be forgotten until a change in attitude is apparent..

Personally I love my hearing aids. I was very grateful to the kind neighbors who pointed out to me the signs they had observed of my gradual hearing loss. I was referred to the audiologist they know, whom I now also trust and respect. At her recommendation I come once a month for a brief check up. After the shocking experience of having my dog chew up a hearing aid while I was napping, I have learned to keep these valuable instruments in their own small, special box at any time when they are not in use.

© Copyright 2010 Esther E. Hansen