Do you know someone who is showing signs of or has recently been diagnosed with hearing loss? They may need some extra support from you and other loved ones in their life. Hearing loss is common and highly manageable, but just like any change to one’s health, it can be hard to talk about and come with a slew of emotions: relief, shock, anger, denial, embarrassment, etc. Here’s how you can be a good friend during this period.
What They’re Going Through
Hearing is an integral part of socializing and communicating. Hearing loss can make people feel isolated because it can make it difficult to understand conversations or require asking people to repeat themselves. They may, consciously or unconsciously, begin drawing away from their social connections, turning down invitations and withdrawing during group conversations.
The good news is that a strong support network can work wonders for people in situations like this. Having a companion by their side during this period of their life makes getting through it seem easier, as this study found that people judged a hill to be less steep when accompanied by a friend. Here’s how you can help the “hill” of hearing loss seem less steep for your friend.
Three Ways to Offer Your Support
1: Listen
Let your friend know you’re available to be a listening ear and make time for them. Plan an afternoon out so you can chat. As we said above, a hearing loss diagnosis can bring a whole range of emotions, sometimes many of them all at once, and your friend may be in need of a good venting session to process everything they’re feeling.
As you listen, make space for them to speak; don’t try to speak over them, solve their problems or dismiss what they say. This can be difficult to do, but it will go a long way toward making them feel heard.
2: Help Them Communicate
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has a great page on tips for communicating with someone who has hearing loss. These tips are all subtle ways you can adjust how you speak and listen, as well as tweak the environment in order to facilitate communication with your friend better.
One big takeaway is not to shout or speak slowly to someone with hearing loss; this can come across as aggressive or patronizing and can distort the sound of your voice, making you harder to understand rather than easier. Instead, speak in your regular tone and cadence of voice, but speak clearly and enunciate well.
3: Offer to Accompany Them to Their Appointments
Hearing consultations can be dense with information, which can be overwhelming. Moreover, it can be intimidating to face a potential new medical treatment alone. You can help with both of these obstacles by accompanying your friend to their hearing appointment. There, you can encourage them, offer input if asked, help them remember information and overall take some of the weight off their shoulders.
Better yet, coming along can equip you with more knowledge on hearing loss and your friend’s challenges, so you’re better prepared to support them in everyday situations. Hearing loss is often misunderstood, and that can make it difficult to accept that help is necessary. With your presence, you can help break that stigma for your friend and encourage them to get the help they need.
For More Information
If you’re looking for more information about how to support someone with hearing loss, check out other posts on our blog, ASHA’s website and other similar resources.