Don't let unrecognized hearing loss isolate our senior loved ones, who created so many beloved family holiday traditions!
Care Wagon Medical Transport and The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is urging families across America to encourage loved ones with hearing loss to get their hearing checked and to have any hearing loss properly treated.
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"The holiday season is meant to be a time of thanks, celebration, and joy," says Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Better Hearing Institute. "But for many people, it is a time of year when unaddressed hearing loss can cause them to feel particularly isolated and depressed. Even when surrounded by loved ones, a family member's impaired ability to hear and actively participate in conversation cuts them off. Oftentimes, they are left with a sense of sadness, inadequacy, and emotional isolation. This is especially true when the hearing loss is either unrecognized or is being 'hidden' by the family member with hearing loss."
Hearing loss is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today, and affects more than 31.5 million Americans. When left untreated, hearing loss can lead to isolation and depression—a health issue that is already prevalent during the holiday season and may likely be more widespread this year, given the added financial worries that many Americans are currently facing.
So this year, be especially vigilant if you see that Uncle Fred is quiet at Thanksgiving or other holiday dinners. Maybe he can't hear you and needs your help in bringing him close to the family again.
Signs and symptoms of hearing loss include not being able to hear well in a crowded room or restaurant, having trouble hearing children and women, keeping the television or radio turned up to a high volume, needing to ask family and friends to repeat what they're saying, or experiencing ringing in the ears.
"When a family member experiences unaddressed hearing loss, it silently erodes the loved one's quality of life—undermining family relationships, interfering with short-term memory, and creeping into virtually every aspect of daily living," says Kochkin. "The good news is there are solutions to help loved ones with hearing loss regain the gift of sound so they don't need to draw back in silence. Hearing loss can be easily diagnosed, and there are modern-day solutions that can help people hear better."
If someone you love is experiencing hearing loss, try these tips to help them feel included in your upcoming holiday celebrations:
- Keep the volume on the music and television down. Background noise makes it difficult for people with even mild—and sometimes undetected—hearing loss to follow the conversation.
- Try to talk to your loved one from the side on which he or she hears best.
- Speak clearly and not too fast. Don't talk loudly or shout.
- Face the person as you speak, and keep your hands away from your face.
- Write a sincere, loving letter before a big holiday family dinner or get-together, or suggest that your loved one write one, to remind folks about the need to speak clearly, one at a time, and to use effective communication strategies, such as repeating then rephrasing when your loved one doesn't understand them.
- If you plan to host a holiday dinner or party, consider leaving the dishes and silverware in the china closet. Instead, use holiday-themed paper plates and plastic cutlery. This will cut down dramatically on the noise from cutlery clattering on plates.
