Football games with Ted are the worst. He has the volume turned up so loud the walls rattle, and you certainly can’t tune in to the game. All you can hear is the roar of the crowd pounding against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the announcer’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t at all enjoyable. But the volume sounds fine for Ted. He requires the TV to be extremely loud so he can hear it, which makes it rather obvious he needs a hearing aid. You’re just not certain how to tell him that. His sensitivity about the topic makes what should be a simple conversation a lot more difficult.
These tips are a good place to begin.
You Can Suggest he Gets a Basic Hearing Evaluation
Ted needs a specialist to inform him about his hearing. Other people might not sound as credible when they tell him about it. In that situation, the strategy will be getting Ted (or anybody like him) to come see us.
One of the following tactics may help you do that:
- Try making him feel more at ease by letting him know that it’s just a simple screening. In most cases, hearing screenings are fast and easy. Ted will get his results on an audiogram, which will analyze his hearing by frequency. We can clarify what the results mean.
- Recommend that both of you go together for back-to-back screenings. This can make beginning the conversation easier. You may find out that you also have some level of hearing impairment (it may depend on how long you’ve been exposed to a high-volume sound).
Chat About Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss is often indiscernible because it progresses so gradually. Certain subconscious behaviors frequently develop when this happens. By concentrating your discussion on those behaviors, you can subtly (or not so subtly) hint that Ted (or someone like him) needs a hearing aid.
Try some of these approaches:
- Point out that he’s been evading talking to friends and family members by phone because he has difficulty hearing what they say.
- You could tell him the family has noticed he’s been having a tough time hearing. Every year it seems as if fewer and fewer people are going over to see the Big Game and that could be because the TV is turned up so loud.
- Point out instances where you have to translate what somebody said. It may happen like this: your friend says something at dinner, Ted doesn’t hear or understand it, and you have to repeat what they said to Ted because you’re closer to him.
When you have these discussions focusing on these behaviors, not the condition, will be the goal. Instead of discussing how Ted is experiencing hearing impairment, mention how his hearing loss impacts those around him.
Emphasize The Technology in Modern Hearing Aids
Sometimes, reticence to wearing hearing aids comes from outdated (but understandable) notions of what hearing aids do and how they influence one’s personal appearance. It might not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology utilized by contemporary hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and render them in real time as well as other added features.
- Usually, contemporary hearing aids are so small you can’t even see them. And, modern hearing aids are also comfortable to wear. They’re not bulky like they once were. They won’t even be seen by most people.
- Modern hearing aids have a huge amount of technology. Your hearing aid will connect wirelessly with your phone, TV, and other smart devices by way of Bluetooth® connectivity. With this tech, the volume of your devices will be increased without noise and feedback.
Hearing aids, for many individuals, are an ideal extension to their other smart technology. In this modern world, hearing aids are extremely useful and will help you enjoy activities like live streaming.
Highlight The Long-Term Benefits
Finally, take some time to emphasize the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline. In other words, your brain health depends on you being able to hear clearly.
The sooner you address your hearing loss, the more hearing you’re likely to keep over time. When you have hearing impairment, your ears have a hard time processing particular wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. Simply turning up your TV isn’t a substitute for this valuable technology.
Getting treatment as soon as you begin noticing hearing loss can help save your hearing, and knowing that will help convince people like Ted to seek help.