A family member with hearing loss can be a challenge for the entire household. However, there are hearing assistive devices and other techniques you can use to maintain contact and communication with your loved one. Here are several ways you can support your family member. 

What to do If Your Family Member Has Hearing Loss

1. Develop Communication Skills

Communication with a family member who’s dealing with hearing loss can be difficult at times and requires more effort. You may find that you can no longer have a conversation from the other room or that you need to sit closer for them to hear you. However, you might find that your communication skills improve when communicating with an individual who has hearing loss. To enhance your communication with your loved one, maintain eye contact, don’t exaggerate your voice or lip movements, and rephrase what you’ve said so that they can understand. . 

2. Invest in Technology

With advances in technology, new hearing assistive devices and models are constantly hitting the market. You can help your loved one by investing in some of that technology. You might keep devices such as hearing aid microphones or an extra pair of hearing aids in a different part of the house. You can also keep a captioning device near the phone so they can answer calls. Just make sure the volume is turned up so they can hear when it rings. 

3. Have Patience

Frustration is common for both parties when navigating hearing loss. Remain calm and patient to encourage a positive attitude from your loved one. When speaking in person, remember that your family member will be reading your body language as well, and impatience can come across as harsh. Exercise patience if you’re both learning how to use a new hearing assistive device. 

Hearing loss can happen at any time during adulthood and can be extremely difficult to accept, but the hearing experts at Richard W. Foust, Au.D. in DuBois, PA, are here to help you navigate those challenges. For more than 35 years, they’ve been providing people with comprehensive hearing exams and hearing assistive devices to help them live a normal, happy life. If you or a loved one has hearing loss, schedule an appointment by calling (814) 371-1085. You can also check out their website for more information on treatment options.