Almost half of the adults in the world that are older than 75 have some hearing loss. While it is normal to think about hearing loss in the elderly, that doesn’t mean it won’t be annoying. If you are caring for your elderly loved one and they have hearing loss, you may get annoyed with them and they may get annoyed with you. The good news is that there are ways of improving communication with someone who has hearing loss.
Getting Rid of Background Noises
If you or your elderly loved one are trying to talk - but they have hearing loss - it would be helpful to get rid of as much background noise as possible. This may not be a possibility in all situations. However, if you are in your elderly loved one’s home, you can make sure the television and other noise sources are turned down. If your loved one gets personal care at home, the senior care providers can also make sure to do this. The quieter the environment is, the more likely it will be that your loved one can hear you.
Being More Expressive
To help your elderly loved one understand the things that you and others are saying to them, it is best to communicate with expressions. There are many hand gestures and facial expressions you can use to get your elderly loved one to understand what you are trying to say and show how you are feeling. To better get your expressions across, make sure you are standing in front of your elderly loved one when talking to and communicating with them.
Taking Turns
You should also take turns when talking to your elderly loved one. If you are constantly interrupting your loved one, your elderly loved one will likely get more frustrated. This can make the entire conversation confusing for them. Make sure you fully listen to everything your elderly loved one is telling you. Then, when they are done talking, you can take your turn. If needed, watch how senior care providers communicate with your loved one. They have experience handling senior citizens who have hearing loss.
Conclusion
Does your elderly loved one have hearing loss? If so, have you been getting frustrated due to the new communication issues between the two of you. There are ways that you can better communicate with your elderly loved one even though they have hearing loss. The tips above are great ones to start with. In addition, if you get personal care at home for your elderly loved one, you can watch how the home care providers interact with them. They have experience with hearing loss and can show you what to do.
Sources
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-older-adults