Recent research suggests that social support is a vital aspect of using hearing devices to their full potential. Having a sense of communal support with your loved ones and coworkers can help you adjust quicker to the process of wearing hearing devices.
A major problem associated with hearing loss is the social isolation aspect that arises out of being alienated by friends, family and coworkers due to hearing impairment. Sharing your hearing experience with your loved ones can help them understand your situation better and lead to an increased sense of comfort and mental support that can help you transition into the hearing world and make the most out of your hearing aids.
Once people begin to share the issues relating to their hearing loss, they reduce the burden they had unnecessarily placed upon themselves and can gain supportive advice and guidance from their loved ones to help them function better wearing their hearing aids. Four crucial aspects of social support were noted to make significant improvements in the successful implementation of hearing devices:
- Improvement of social network through the creation of interpersonal relationships that require personal involvement of the person with hearing loss.
- Communicating openly about both the positive as well as the negative aspect of interpersonal relationships.
- Absence of social relationships resulting from social isolation.
- Integration in terms of personal involvement in informal interpersonal relationships.
Discussing the importance of communicative methods can be a crucial addition to helping someone adjust to their hearing devices. Particularly focusing on the positive aspects of how hearing devices can help improve social relations with loved ones and coworkers were found to be specifically helpful.