To "orm": Laura does say that her husband wears hearing aids. I don't know if they are enough. My husband is an engineer who has been wearing hearing aids for years and who really tried to keep up with the technology. Still, he struggles. His audiologist (he's had many) had never recommended the Roger microphone, but he ordered one after seeing it being used in the Hearing Loss Association meeting, and I am delighted to report that it has made an enormous difference in our lives. In his case, he had gotten so frustrated with the problems of communication that he actively avoided social interactions. That left ME as, quote "his only friend." Yikes.

There can be incredibly emotional stressors connected with hearing loss. Sometimes medication can help reduced the anxiety and frustration. Sadly, few therapists seem to be trained in dealing effectively with the situation. One thing that I've found helpful is the association's "Communication tips for people dealing with hearing loss." (It's wordy but I believe is being revised. And very practical!)

The Twin Cities chapter of HLAA has an extensive booklist of titles dealing with hearing loss. I've been working on a similar project with developing a list of films. This disability is "invisible" and very hard for everybody to deal with. Finding a group focused on topic has really been very helpful to me.