Congenital or acquired, hearing problems reduce the quality of life of our loved ones. Sometimes they refuse support and get angry if we try to treat them more carefully than before. But deep down they really want us to be there and love them no matter what.
According to the WHO, 466 million people around the world suffer from hearing loss. This means that about 5% of the population of our planet do not hear speech, music, sounds of nature. And this figure, employees of the organization believe, will only grow. According to their calculations, by 2050 there will be about 900 million people in the world with hearing problems. Every third person over 3 suffers from hearing loss.
It is possible that sooner or later we ourselves will stop hearing relatives and friends. And certainly among our friends there is someone who, due to age, due to illness or due to congenital disorders, has already encountered this problem.
Sometimes we want to support a loved one who finds himself in a similar situation, but do not know how to do it. We cannot fully understand the experiences of someone who has ceased or ceases to hear the sounds of this world. But we can be with loved ones together at a time when their world is changing.
Many people with hearing loss do not want to talk about what is happening to them. But even if they refuse to talk about it, deep down they are still waiting for your support, says writer Shari Eberts.
She offers 7 simple steps to show your loved one your love and give them moral support.
1. Simplify communication. If you know that your loved one is losing their hearing, speak to them in a way that makes it easier to hear and understand you. No need to chat through your teeth or shout from the next room: most likely, this will irritate someone who is not easy to understand you. And act like this all the time, don’t make the person ask you for it multiple times. This is the best kind of caring.
2. Make sure the other person understands you. Noise in restaurants, at fun parties and family gatherings makes it difficult to understand each other even for those who do not have hearing problems. If you find yourself in a similar situation with someone who is losing hearing, check in regularly to see how your companion is feeling. If necessary, repeat for him what others have said.
3. Give them the right to choose. People with hearing loss may well have favorite places where they feel comfortable and at ease. Invite them to choose where to go or go. Constantly remind that good company is the best ingredient for a successful vacation.
4. Remind you that you care. Hearing problems make us feel like we are cut off from the world. We are lonely, sad and it seems that we have lost something very important. If your loved one is experiencing this problem, help them avoid isolation.
5. Encourage the use of hearing aids. Often those who have hearing problems pretend that nothing special is happening. They get angry if someone hints at the problems they are facing. Choose a moment when both you and the other person are in a good mood, and gently hint that special devices will help them hear better.
6. Help find programs with subtitles. Hearing loss often affects older people who are not very good at navigating the Internet. But we can download films and programs with subtitles for them. It is equally important to watch movies and programs together so that you can always discuss what you see and your loved one does not need to specify what exactly you are laughing at or, conversely, crying about.
7. Try to laugh together at what is happening. Some conditions are not treatable, they cannot be corrected with the most sophisticated medical technologies. A sense of humor will help us alleviate the pain and severity of experiences.
Each of us has features that create difficulties in everyday life, and laughing at them – of course, if your loved one has the appropriate sense of humor – means to make them less intimidating.