Watching sports with Ted is extremely frustrating. Paying attention to the game is impossible because the volume is turned up so loud that the walls rattle. All you can hear is the thunder of the crowd hammering against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the announcer’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t at all enjoyable. But for Ted, it’s a normal volume. He needs the TV to be incredibly loud so he can hear it, which makes it rather clear he needs a hearing aid. You’re just not sure how to talk to him that. It should be a simple conversation, but he seems excessively sensitive about the topic.
The following are a few tips that might help.
You Can Recommend he Gets a Simple Hearing Test
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 might help you do that:
- Attempt to make him feel more comfortable by letting him know that it’s just a simple screening. In the vast majority of cases, hearing screenings are quick and easy. His hearing will be broken down by frequency on an audiogram. We can detail what the results mean.
- Offer to get a screening too. This can make starting the dialogue easier. You may discover that you also have some level of hearing impairment (depending on how long you’ve been subjected to loud sound).
Discuss Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss takes place slowly, often advancing so slowly it’s unnoticeable. When this happens, you may pick up certain behaviors without recognizing it. By concentrating your conversation on those behaviors, you can subtly (or not so subtly) hint that Ted (or someone like him) needs a hearing aid.
Try something like the following:
- Informing him that his family has noticed him struggling to hear. Each 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.
- Remind Him that he’s not talking on the phone as much as he once did because he has a hard time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
- Mention that you’ve noticed how often you’re “translating” for him. It may happen like this: someone is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to constantly repeat what was said because he can’t understand them.
When you have these conversations focusing on these behaviors, not the disorder, will be the goal. Instead of discussing how Ted is experiencing hearing impairment, mention how his hearing loss impacts those around him.
Talk About Hearing Aid Technology
Sometimes, reticence to using hearing aids comes from outdated (but understandable) ideas of what hearing aids do and how they influence one’s personal appearance. It may not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology utilized by contemporary hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- Some hearing aids can even monitor 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. Not only that, modern hearing aids are amazingly comfortable for the wearer. They’re not cumbersome like they once were. They won’t even be noticed by most people.
- Modern hearing aids carry a huge amount of technology. Your hearing aid will connect wirelessly with your phone, TV, and other smart devices thanks to Bluetooth® connectivity. This delivers amplified volumes without noise or feedback.
Hearing aids, for many individuals, are an ideal extension to their other smart technology. In this modern world, hearing aids are extremely practical and will help you enjoy activities such as live streaming.
Promote The Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to point out the long-term advantages of hearing aids, which have been shown to help people keep (or recover) mental equity. To put it bluntly, hearing is critical to a person’s mental health.
You will keep more of your hearing intact in the long run if you manage your hearing loss as soon as possible. When you have hearing impairment, your ears have a difficult time processing specific wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. When you simply turn up the volume you don’t fill in the specific missing frequencies.
Getting treatment as soon as you start noticing hearing loss can help save your hearing, and knowing that will help persuade people like Ted to seek help.
