How to Persuade a Loved One to Try Hearing Aids

It’s interesting and important to recognize that at some times in our life, we can become quite dismissive about our self-care needs. From working too much to indulging in bad habits that effect our health, or ignoring the signs of a particular health condition – it’s not uncommon for us to be our own worst enemy from time to time.

In fact, studies show that on average, people are more likely to give their pets a complete course of antibiotics than to take a fully prescribed course themselves. In other words, it’s often easier to care for others than it is to care for ourselves.

That said, this isn’t much comfort when someone in our family may require help but seems reticent to accept it. This can feel quite frustrating and tiresome, because as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Yet when we know that our loved one may be experiencing an issue and having it seen to would drastically improve their quality of life, it’s worth a shot.

If your loved one is experiencing hearing loss it’s worth taking them to see an audiologist who can diagnose the condition and provide the proper treatment, most commonly hearing aids. Because the hearing aid is worn behind or in the ear, some may feel hesitant to try them. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can persuade your loved one to get started in that direction:

Make Your Concerns Clear

Sometimes, we can ignore or downsize the issues we might be facing in day-to-day life. It might be that your loved one knows they have hearing issues, but not the full extent of them. Keeping a small diary for a week to determine the more noticeable issues they have, such as not responding to questions asked, to having trouble with their balance, may help them understand just how often this happens.

Of course, we don’t need to record them privately with cameras or to seem as if we’re playing a trick on them, but when having a heart-to-heart meeting it can help to showcase exactly why you’re concerned in this way. Make your concerns clear. Do you think they may need to visit an audiologist? Tell them why, and what this could provide them. This can be helped by:

Make The Process Simple

If there’s very little traction between noticing a problem and seeking help, your loved one may feel more encouraged to give it a try. For instance; perhaps you’re willing to drive them to the appointment and will support them the entire way, lessening their nerves and helping them feel confident on their path. If you decide to go to the appointment with your loved one, be sure to jot down any questions they may come up with beforehand to make the process go by more smoothly.

It can also be worthwhile to research some information to showcase how worthwhile hearing aids are. From how there are multiple categories such as in-the-ear, behind-the-ear and in-the-canal, to their modern functionalities such as Bluetooth connectivity and easy maintenance; it may just be that their impressions of what hearing aids are in 2022 are outdated.

A Fair, Fun Bargain

A good way to bring some levity to your persuasion is to offer something in return. Perhaps you’ll promise to visit your health professional in order to rectify your recent snoring at night, for instance, something that they may have actually been relying on their possible hearing loss to assist with.

A tongue-in-cheek joke like that can help you show your encouragement is less finger-wagging, and more a loving concern. If you hold up your side of the bargain, then perhaps you can both find the treatment you need at the same time. If they bring up any fears they may have, then let them know a visit to the audiologist can only improve their quality of life no matter what they may be diagnosed with. Better the condition you know than the problem you don’t.

Getting the Help Your Loved One Deserves

If you’re ready to help your loved one find the perfect hearing aids for their specific needs, contact one of our friendly team members at The Hearing Clinic at Woodlake. We offer a complete array of services designed to help you combat hearing loss, including testing, diagnosis, hearing aid selection and fittings. Find out what makes our practice different by giving us a call at (612) 246-4868!