While hearing loss affects a large percentage of Americans — it’s one of the most commonly cited health concerns for folks over age 65 — those with hearing loss are still in the margins of most of society. What that means is that our world is built for people with normal hearing capabilities and those of us with hearing loss must find ways to participate despite having a distinct disadvantage. Thankfully, the profile of people suffering from hearing loss is more prominent today than ever before and we’re able to be accommodated in so many more ways than in previous generations. However, our there are still some warnings and considerations we’d love to have our able hearing friends aware of:
Our lives have been adjusted
Our lives don’t have to do a total 180, but there will be tweaks and changes as we adjust to our new hearing realities. That means that we might have loved spending hours at a busy party catching up with friends before hearing loss entered into our lives, but it’s not something that fuels us any longer.
Think of it as a friend or spouse who’s given up alcohol or when people become parents for the first time. The friendship or relationship isn’t lost, but the behaviors that supported the friendship had to change because, well, life is all about change.
I’m not a child, but an adult with a hearing impairment
Don’t speak in placating tones, oversimplify conversation, or speak up for us when we’re out in public together. That is, unless we’ve asked you to. We might ask for help sometimes, and always appreciate when it’s given in those scenarios. However, part of our adjustment to life with hearing loss is the learning curve where we explore how to be in the world despite having less than normal hearing. If our friends and families step in at every opportunity, we’ll never learn the necessary tips and tricks to fend for ourselves. And that can lead to feelings of unworthiness or helplessness.
Power of the (digital) pen
Much of our connected society stays in touch with quick phone calls. We all have the friend who will call us on their commute to catch up and pass the time. But for those of us with hearing loss, these can be stressful encounters instead of delightful interaction.
Text us or email us instead. It doesn’t have to be a long, comprehensive update. In fact, a quick ‘How are you doing?’ text goes a long way. It lets us know that our loved ones are thinking of us in the brief intermissions of their busy day. We’ll promise to do the same, because conversing without having to strain to hear is our favorite way to communicate.
We care just as much as always
Even if we aren’t always up to speed on important details of your life, we care just as much as ever. Robert Frost said that poetry is what gets lost in translation. The reality for those with hearing loss is that important details sometimes get lost in conversation. While we might be listening effortfully as you share the dramatic details of a story, the truth is that sometimes we miss things.
When hearing loss is something you’ve been dealing with for a fair amount of time, you get pretty good at filling in the blanks. But some of those blanks don’t get filled in and we need you to be patient with us if we don’t always catch pieces of conversation that are actually quite meaningful. Know that despite this, we are always on the same page in terms of the intention of what is being communicated and are there to provide the support and companionship that any other friend would offer.
Hearing aids don’t restore normal hearing
Just because we wear a hearing aid doesn’t mean that everything is back to normal. While hearing technology has grown leaps and bounds in the past few decades, a hearing aid will not completely restore perfect hearing. For one, there is a significant adjustment period that varies with every individual. Be patient and kind during these times, because they can be incredibly frustrating to us! Once we have adjusted to our new hearing capabilities, remember that we haven’t flipped a switch back to ‘normal.’ Our hearing is still impaired and extra effort and care is still required when we’re in conversational settings.
Have you been experiencing changes in your hearing? You don’t have to live with untreated hearing loss! Contact us at Hearing Wellness Solutions today.