As people age, everyone starts to see signs of their bodies slowing down. Sometimes things don't work as well as they used to. When you notice your husband being less attentive than usual and turning the television up louder and louder, you might question how well he hears. Even when he says he can hear just fine, you probably strongly suspect you are dealing with a husband hard of hearing.
Getting your spouse to make an appointment with an audiologist can seem next to impossible. It's important that you find a way though, even if it means making the appointment yourself, driving him there, and sitting in the waiting room with him. If your suspicions are confirmed, and there is a problem, the next step is deciding what to do about it.
Meeting with the audiologist after the exam will give you a lot of information. This person can explain how much loss there is and what kind. He may recommend you talk to an otologist about cochlear implants or suggest a hearing aid. Since this is not a life and death situation, you and your partner don't have to make a decision immediately.
Now that you know exactly what the problem is, there are ways you can help your spouse. When talking to him, face him and look him in the eye. If he is standing with his back to you, you can reach out and touch his back or shoulder to let him know you're behind him. Background noises interfere with conversation. Instead of trying to talk over the television, turn it off or down. Yelling is counterproductive. Exaggerated enunciation is insulting.
Going to public places, like restaurants or the mall, can be difficult because you can't adjust the background noise. In this case, pointing and gesturing are acceptable ways to get his attention. Don't chew, smoke, or cover your mouth when you're talking to your spouse. Remembering all this can be annoying, but you have to have patience. He didn't choose this loss. Finding ways to share a laugh about it, will help.
Your husband is not an invalid, and you aren't required to treat him like one. He has a responsibility to help you as well. He can tell when something you do makes it harder for him to hear you. He will have to handle public situations. He will have to learn to listen. You may have been telling him this for years, but now he doesn't really have a choice.
You shouldn't wait for an emergency to happen to make a plan. You and your partner can go shopping for special devices that will flash or vibrate to alert him to an unusual situation. You can choose from auditory, visual, and tactile devices.
Hearing loss is not fatal. It is inconvenient, and it has to be addressed. There are simple ways you can both accommodate the situation to make it less stressful. Communication, patience, perspective, and humor are good first steps.
Getting your spouse to make an appointment with an audiologist can seem next to impossible. It's important that you find a way though, even if it means making the appointment yourself, driving him there, and sitting in the waiting room with him. If your suspicions are confirmed, and there is a problem, the next step is deciding what to do about it.
Meeting with the audiologist after the exam will give you a lot of information. This person can explain how much loss there is and what kind. He may recommend you talk to an otologist about cochlear implants or suggest a hearing aid. Since this is not a life and death situation, you and your partner don't have to make a decision immediately.
Now that you know exactly what the problem is, there are ways you can help your spouse. When talking to him, face him and look him in the eye. If he is standing with his back to you, you can reach out and touch his back or shoulder to let him know you're behind him. Background noises interfere with conversation. Instead of trying to talk over the television, turn it off or down. Yelling is counterproductive. Exaggerated enunciation is insulting.
Going to public places, like restaurants or the mall, can be difficult because you can't adjust the background noise. In this case, pointing and gesturing are acceptable ways to get his attention. Don't chew, smoke, or cover your mouth when you're talking to your spouse. Remembering all this can be annoying, but you have to have patience. He didn't choose this loss. Finding ways to share a laugh about it, will help.
Your husband is not an invalid, and you aren't required to treat him like one. He has a responsibility to help you as well. He can tell when something you do makes it harder for him to hear you. He will have to handle public situations. He will have to learn to listen. You may have been telling him this for years, but now he doesn't really have a choice.
You shouldn't wait for an emergency to happen to make a plan. You and your partner can go shopping for special devices that will flash or vibrate to alert him to an unusual situation. You can choose from auditory, visual, and tactile devices.
Hearing loss is not fatal. It is inconvenient, and it has to be addressed. There are simple ways you can both accommodate the situation to make it less stressful. Communication, patience, perspective, and humor are good first steps.
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