Ask The Audiologist

Q: I have a family member who has hearing difficulty but is reluctant to address the problem. What can I do to help?

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A: Today’s families are faced with many challenges. Hearing loss can cause additional strain on family relationships if it is not addressed.

Encouraging a reluctant family member to get help for his or her hearing can be frustrating. After working with hearing impaired individuals and their families since 1989, I have found the following three things to be most helpful for those with a loved one who denies or is reluctant to address his or her hearing loss:

 1) Try to understand the real reason your loved one opposes the idea of seeking help. This is not always obvious.  For example, many people are honestly not aware how poor their hearing is because their hearing loss developed slowly or they may be avoiding the issue because they are afraid that their hearing difficulties can’t be helped.

In some cases your loved one might express a reason that is actually a “smoke screen” for the real reason. For example, some people who would rather not admit they are concerned about the way hearing aids will make them look will instead say they are concerned about the cost.

In other cases, people may readily admit the true reason they are reluctant to address the problem of hearing difficulty. The reason may seem completely valid but can be based on false or partial information. For example, some people may have heard that friends were unsuccessful with hearing aids and assume that means they will be unsuccessful as well – not taking into account the fact that their hearing loss might be very different from their friend’s.

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