People often think that those suffering from hearing loss are the only ones affected by the problem. In reality, those affected by hearing loss are not only the sufferers themselves but also their friends, family and loved ones. Every relationship, be it personal or professional, begins to deteriorate as a result of inefficient communication. This leads to increased stress and decreased productivity at home and work for the hearing impaired individual, as well as those around them.
Our home is supposed to be an environment where we relax and behave more casually. As such, people often take communicative methods for granted and sometimes yell out from one room to another. This can be problematic for a hearing impaired person who is unable to hear across rooms. This can lead to unnecessary miscommunication and frustration where the speaker feels unheard and the listener is unable to identify what was said.
A hearing-impaired family member can come across as nonchalant, negligent, or apathetic to other family members due to their unresponsiveness. This can lead to annoyance and anger in family members who feel neglected or misunderstood as a result of poor communication. Family members may also become increasingly frustrated with the constant need to repeat themselves all the time.
Family members who have hearing aids but do not use them frequently can also face frustration and stress as a result of difficulty in communication. If your family member has a hearing problem, it is important to be respectful and polite when asking them to put on their hearing aids. Those relatives with regular hearing need to be more patient and forgiving when dealing with relatives who have hearing loss, realizing that the hearing-impaired individual is not intentionally unresponsive.
Anger often escalates situations thus it is important to prioritize your relationship rather than any singular incident. Acceptance and understanding can be the easiest methods to helping and efficiently communicating with a hearing-impaired individual. Spend time to find ways that you know will help ease your communication. Use non-verbal techniques such as emotional expressions and hand gestures to emphasize communication and help hearing-impaired family members feel wanted and loved.