Help a loved one accept hearing loss – your 10-step action plan

Is a friend or family member experiencing hearing loss? Use these tips to convince them to get a hearing aid.

• Communicate Your Feelings – Tell your loved one how much you value the relationship, and how his/her hearing loss affects you. Do so with compassion and tenderness; avoid using threats, confrontation or guilt.
• Reach Out – Ask your grown children, a close friend or a trusted doctor to gently recommend professional help. Sometimes, encouragement coming from others is better received.
• Research Payment Options – If perceived cost of hearing aids is a concern, gather information on healthcare payment plans. There are many attractive financial options available for purchasing hearing aids.
• Try the Talking Points – Try some of the featured facts about the impact the hearing loss can have on the life of your loved one and their family members.
• Share Information on Hearing Solutions – When people use hearing aids for the first time, the vast majority are pleasantly surprised. Today's hearing aids are lighter, smaller and more comfortable than ever before. Suddenly, they can rediscover sounds they have been missing, even in challenging listening situations. Your loved one will probably wish they had taken this step earlier!
• Tell “Success Stories” – Talk with friends who have had positive outcomes with their hearing aids, and tell your loved one about their experiences.
• Ask Yourself, Do I Enable? – Repeating yourself, elevating your voice, and relaying phone/television conversation encourages your loved one to delay seeking help, so refrain from being his/her “ears”.  
• Visit a Professional Hearing Care Specialist together – taking this important step could be a lot easier for your loved if they are not alone. companied by you to their first appointment. Your input will better inform the hearing care specialist and improve the likelihood of a successful treatment.
• Lead by Example – Have annual hearing exams yourself! Hang in There! – Research tells us that continuous family recommendation and encouragement is the primary reason people decide to try hearing aids.

Talking points

• Hearing loss can lead to loneliness, frustration and mental fatigue
• Adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and dementia
• Hearing loss can affect physical balance
• People who use hearing aids report less anger, frustration, paranoia and anxiety
• Treatment of hearing loss improves the relationship at home and with family
• Most people who use hearing aids have improved social lives
• Nine out of 10 people start to hear better, feel better and report better health overall when using hearing aids*
• Modern hearing aids are comfortable, small and discreet and can even be controlled remotely