Thanksgiving is a treasured time for family get-togethers, filled with merriment, stories, and moments of gratitude. It also offers a perfect caring atmosphere to address essential health concerns, including hearing loss. With loved ones gathered around, this holiday can be a perfect time to initiate a conversation about hearing troubles and encourage seeking solutions.
Preparing for a supportive conversation
During family get-togethers, it can make a big difference for a loved one who has hearing loss, if you cultivate a caring and welcoming vibe. Here are some tips to ensure your home is comfortable for everyone, especially for people who may struggle to hear clearly:
- Notify Family Members in Advance: Make sure you mention your plan to talk about hearing loss with your other family members. This will allow everyone to be prepared for the conversation and your loved one with hearing loss won’t feel as though they are being ambushed. It will feel more like a family support system and less like criticism, for the individual with hearing loss, when the entire family is involved.
- Thoughtful Seating Arrangements: Your loved one will feel more included in conversations if you seat them near the middle of the table. If you seat them at the end of the table, they will lose out on conversations taking place a little further away.
Minimize Background Noise: Try to keep background noise, including music, at a lower volume. This decreases distractions and makes it easier for your family member to pay attention to the conversation. Electronic devices, such as the TV, can present substantial distractions and it’s a good idea to turn them off before the conversation.
Delicately broaching the discussion
Talking about hearing loss can be sensitive, and it’s important to approach it with compassion. Thanksgiving is a time when families gather and show support for one another and give thanks, making it the ideal setting for this conversation. Here’s how to approach the conversation:
- Express Gratitude and Care: The first thing to do is to tell your loved one that they mean a lot to you. Talk about how lucky you feel to have them in your life. This lets your loved one know that you care about, and are concerned about their well-being, setting a positive tone from the start.
- Address the Problem with Compassion: Inform your loved one that it seems as if they might be having trouble hearing and that you’re concerned for their well-being. Structure the discussion around improving their quality of life instead of focusing on the problem itself. For instance, you might say, “I’ve noticed it’s been a little harder for you to keep up with conversations recently, and I want to make sure you can fully enjoy our family gatherings”.
- Offer Immediate Tips for Better Communication: Suggest small changes that can help in the short term. Urge your loved one to ask others to talk more slowly or clearly if they’re having difficulty understanding. Remind them that when they are in noisy environments, it’s acceptable to ask people to repeat what they said. By employing these guidelines, your loved one will feel less frustrated and more included at gatherings.
Discussing long-term solutions
After you put your loved one at ease by letting them know how much you care about them, it’s time to delicately initiate the idea of long-term solutions.
- Introduce the Idea of Hearing Aids: If your loved one seems to be open to the conversation, solutions like hearing aids can be mentioned. Help them understand that hearing aids are discreet and will better their quality of life by enhancing their ability to take part in conversations and engage in social connections. Perhaps you could say something like “Hearing aids will improve your life and help you get greater joy from social interactions, and there are so many options to choose from, you will easily find a solution that works for you”.
- Reassure Ongoing Family Support: Make sure they know that they won’t need to go through any of the process by themselves. From the process of scheduling and going to the appointments to adjusting to new hearing aids, assure them that their family is there to help. Reinforce that taking this step is about enhancing their overall quality of life and enjoying more moments together.
- Propose a Hearing Test: Suggest scheduling a hearing exam as the next step. Inform them that you will help them schedule the appointment and of course, you will be there with them for support. Discuss the importance of having their hearing assessed in order to determine the state of their hearing health.
The true spirit of Thanksgiving: supporting each other
Thanksgiving is about coming together and showing our love and appreciation for one another. Thanksgiving is the ideal time to tackle a loved one’s hearing loss as a meaningful show of support that will help them experience the happiness of family gatherings once again. Don’t miss the opportunity to have this sincere discussion in an environment where they can feel the full support of their family.
Future holiday gatherings will be that much more enjoyable and unforgettable after you have successfully inspired your loved one to take this important first step. By exhibiting care and compassion, you will help them feel less separated and more included in the moments that matter most.
This Thanksgiving, take a minute to have this important discussion. It’s an act of love that could transform their experience not just during the holiday season, but throughout the whole year.