Hearing loss is extremely difficult to come to terms with. This is especially the case for someone who wasn’t born with hearing loss, as they know what it was like to be able to hear things. If you know someone who has been diagnosed with hearing loss, it can be difficult for you too, as you may struggle to support them. With that being said, read on to discover some tips on how you can help a loved one to come to terms with hearing loss.
Practice good communication skills
An important step when it comes to helping someone with hearing loss is practicing good communication skills. Here are a number of tips to help you do so…
- Stay positive and keep a sense of humour
- Make sure to communicate in an area with little background noise and good lightening
- Rather than repeating, rephrase what you have said
- Keep your mouth uncovered to help with lip reading
- Before you talk, use the person’s name to get attention
- Do not exaggerate lip movements or your voice, as this can distort the message – speak at a normal and clear rate
- Maintain eye contact
Listen and understand
Coming to terms with hearing loss can be a bit of a grieving process. After all, the person is mourning something they had before and they won’t have again, and so it can be extremely difficult to come to terms with. The best way to support someone during a time like this is to be there to listen to them. You need to recognise that grief involves a number of different stages, all of which can be difficult. This includes the likes of loneliness, confusion, sadness, fear, guilt, anger and denial. You need to be there for your friend and you need to listen to them.
Be proactive and help them with research
There is a fine line between being helpful and taking over, so make sure that this is something your friend wants. However, if they mention that they need to see a certain expert or they need to look into different hearing products, like hearing aids and cochlear implants, why not offer to do some research for them? If they don’t want to take you up on the offer, don’t push it, but you could offer your assistance with something else at a later date.
As you can see, there are a number of different ways you can be a support system to someone who is coping with hearing loss. There is no denying that this is an incredibly difficult period in any person’s life. However, if you follow the suggestions above, you can make sure you are there for them in the best possible way.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
