How you can help a loved one who is having trouble hearing
Does your loved one often ask you to repeat what you’ve said? Are they not hearing the phone ring? Or not hearing you speak when their back is toward you?
If these events occur on a daily basis, they may be signs of hearing loss.
Keep an eye out: What are the signs to look for?
“Grandma, are you listening?”
You might hear this question often. Did you know that one of the signs of hearing loss is difficulty understanding young children or women?
They speak in higher tones, which are the first sounds that are lost in age-related hearing loss.
“There’s too much noise. I can’t hear anything!”
Is communicating difficult in noisy locations or during events where several people are talking at the same time?
Someone with hearing loss would have trouble following conversations in these environments. The person will ask others to repeat what they said, and may seem tired at the end of the event because of all the energy spent trying to concentrate.
“I feel like I’m always asking you to say it again.”
You might notice a change in the behaviour of the person with hearing loss, such as isolating themself or not participating in group conversations.
People who can’t hear well might feel embarrassed or guilty for asking others to repeat what they’ve said. These negative feelings cause increasing frustration over time.
Reminder of some telling signs of hearing loss
Here is a quick reminder of what you should look for in the behaviors of people around you to see if they might have a hearing loss:
- They say those around them seem to mumble a lot.
- They confuse words like “there” and “here.”
- Often ask people to repeat what they said because they’re not speaking loudly enough, especially women and children who have higher voices.
- They have trouble following conversations in loud places because of the background noise.
- They always turn the TV volume up as high as possible.
- They have missed hearing the telephone or alarm ring because they didn’t hear it.
- Or they seem like they can’t hear as well as they did before.
If you have noticed the situations described above in your loved one, know that you can help.
Solutions exist:
Take steps together to regain the pleasure of hearing
Hearing screening
The first, very simple step is to get a hearing screening done. It’s fast, it’s free, and it can be done in one of three ways:
- Online hearing screening: It just takes 60 seconds and you don’t even have to leave home.
- Online hearing screening questionnaire: Take two minutes to fill out this questionnaire, which will provide a good overall picture of your hearing health.
- Hearing screening at a clinic: This test is done in a clinic by an audioprosthetist (a hearing health professional) who will also be able to explain the options available to help you hear better.
Click here to find the nearest clinic.
Taking one of these tests is an excellent first step to learn whether you need a more thorough hearing exam.*
*If you suspect you have hearing loss, you can also meet with an audiologist right away at our partner Polyclinique de l’Oreille to have a complete hearing test done.
An initial consultation with a hearing care professional
Another solution is to make an appointment with an audioprosthetist. At the first free appointment, the audioprosthetist will test the person’s hearing, explain the solutions available and provide useful communication strategies.
Don’t hesitate to encourage your loved one to make an appointment with an audioprosthetist, who will continue the discussion and explain the importance of acting quickly. Your loved one will also learn about the positive impact it will have on their quality of life.
If you have concerns about a loved one’s hearing, our hearing health professionals are here to answer your questions and guide you through the next steps.
Make an appointment now:
1-888-368-3637
www.legroupeforget.com
