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The Emotional Side of Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Jun 26, 2022 | Replies (45)Comment receiving replies
Fast talkers are always a problem for people with hearing loss. Often, our grandkids are among them. It's so important to be upfront about your hearing loss. Say something like "I don't hear as well as I used to, please slow down a bit. because I want to hear you."
You are not 'deaf', but you need help if you want fluid communication. People tend to think that hearing aids bring back 20/20 hearing like eye glasses do for vision. They don't, they are 'aids' that help. Be willing to explain that. You know that background noise is a major culprit in distorting what those of us with hearing loss can understand. Try to arrange visits with others in quiet settings. Not always easy, but it helps a ton. People tend to appreciate it when we are upfront and honest.
Your church might consider installing a system. I'd be willing to bet there are other people in your small congregation who could benefit too. It's a matter of 'coming out' to share your needs. If you do that, others probably will too.
What a wonderful gift it would be to your church to start a fund to pay for an assistive listening system. An FM system would cost a few thousand dollars and would incude 2-4 receivers. (In my church, people purchased their own receivers after finding out how well they worked.) FM may not be the preferred system by everyone, but it works. If your hearing aids have telecoils, you can purchase a personal neckloop ($50 estimate) that works with your hearing aids to plug into the FM receivers. If no telecoils, it may mean wearing a headset provided with the FM receivers. You can purchase those too if you want your own.
To get the kind of accommodations hard of hearing people need, nearly always means you have to be open about your hearing loss rather than hiding it.
Are you willing to educate others while advocating for yourself?
Replies to "Fast talkers are always a problem for people with hearing loss. Often, our grandkids are among..."
I am using my 3rd Hearing Aids which cost me $2,600. I am still not happen with it not to say the other two. Buying a new one is a waste of money.
BTW, I have yet to hear from anyone who is 85% happy with what he or she got!
Please reply if you are.
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@julieo4
You are a font of information and wonderful suggestions. I always get excited when someone acknowledges or understands my hearing loss after I have explained things to them. I get even more joy when they remember what to do and not do next time I see them. I truly believe that all the personal advocating I have done over the years has paid off , not only in helping me but in making others more aware and sort of passing it on.
As stated before, most people are kind and “get it” but there will always be the “jerk”…sorry no other word comes to mind. If you can accept yourself and you have done all you can do to make things better than worry no more. It is what it is is my motto. But of course, like you, I have had years to come to this way of thinking.
People today who are new to hearing loss have so many resources that we didn’t have eons ago.
Someone mentioned the gym…the least favorable place for hearing loss. When there is music it is genuinely loud and I turn down my aid. Honestly the gym rats (I am more of a gym mouse) will all be like me in a few years. I don’t understand the intensity of the volume but, as someone mentioned, maybe they already have a loss and it’s not loud to them. Don’t think that will change.
Enough said for tonight. I’m unplugging and watching my good old captions on Netflix. Oh,
by the way, my door is always open and I live across the breezeway from family. When my aids are out I stick a note up on the front door saying “Not wearing hearing aids…Don’t scare the C… out of me.” They usually flick my kitchen light on and off when they come in. So funny.
FL Mary