How important it is to hear? Do you ever wonder how a family member who has a hearing loss feels around the holidays?

Hearing around the holidays includes precious moments in life that create a lifetime of memories, and too many people are missing out. About 30% of those you know age 65+ have difficulty hearing, and last year, only 5% of people with a hearing loss saw an audiologist, so most of that 30% have not treated their hearing loss.

During the holidays, we need to embrace those with a hearing loss and let them know we are here to help them through their journey and make new memories.

Stressful Holiday Get-Togethers

Someone with a hearing loss will typically find it difficult to participate in family gatherings, outings with friends, dinner get-togethers, or any type of event where they need to hear well.

They find every meetup tiring, embarrassing, and frustrating because they are constantly straining to hear what is being said, and they are so focused on trying to listen that they cannot keep up with the conversation. This straining to listen takes away all the joy and pleasure of being with the people they enjoy.

Eventually, they give up and remove themselves from these situations. Their subconscious tells them that it's no fun going anywhere and that it is better to stay home in their own comfortable quiet surroundings. They start declining offers to dinner or outings and eventually become more isolated.

This is not how we want our loved ones and people we care about to feel, especially when they could be living life to the fullest and enjoying every experience.

Understanding Is Key

Life is precious and should be highly valued, and although it is hard to communicate with someone with a hearing loss, and you might be frustrated with them because they refuse to consider hearing treatment, understanding and compassion can make a big difference.

Imagine being exhausted after trying to hear a short conversation. There is too much effort and straining when it comes to hearing, and it takes away from the enjoyment of being together.

We all tend to avoid doing hard things, so when your loved ones turn down a dinner invite, understand that people subconsciously turn away from being in a situation when they are having to work harder in it. Restaurants are also much harder than family dinners in someone’s house because of all the background noise, and people cannot maintain communication in such an environment.

These difficulties are why it's so important to be ready and prepared from a hearing point of view for the holiday season.

How to Help a Loved One with a Hearing Loss during the Holidays

The following things can help a person with a hearing loss:

• Have them sit with their back to the wall when out. This will cut off a lot of the noise behind them.

• Try to keep any noise level low in a room so they can make out a conversation more easily.

• Keep rooms well lit so they can read lips, and make sure you are always facing them when you talk for the same reason.

• Enunciate your words very clearly.

• Repeat yourself if it looks like they didn’t understand or answered something you didn’t say.

Also read our additional tips here.

Persuading Someone to Get Hearing Help before the Holidays

It can be hard to try to persuade a loved one to even see an audiologist for a hearing test, but the main reason for their reluctance is fear rather than stubbornness – fear of the cost and fear of looking “old” by wearing a hearing aid.

Also, they are unaware of how bad their hearing loss is and how it can cause many more problems and growing healthcare costs if they don’t treat it.

You can do some homework in advance by reading up on the long-term consequences of not treating a hearing loss. You can also call us to see what their insurance might cover and discuss treatment options with us at different price points.

Some families even give their loved ones the gift of hearing before the holidays by covering the cost of everything — hearing test, hearing aids, and follow-up visits — as a present, as long as they are sure it will be well received!

Call us at (475) 227-0842 with your questions, and if your loved one agrees to have the minimum of a hearing test, even if it’s just to prove you wrong, schedule that here and offer to come with them, and maybe even get a test yourself, too, so they feel supported.

We understand the difficulties you are facing, and we are here to help your holiday season be one of the best times in years. We look forward to meeting your loved one and helping them hear better for life.