January 22, 2010
Hearing aids?
Allie asked:
My dad needs a hearing aid, but he doesnt want to get one. I think he is embarressed by the fact that he needs one, so he keeps saying they are too expensive, or that it wont work… etc. Any ideas of how to convince him lovingly that he should get one???
Its not about the money though… its him being willing to wear them…
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My dad needs a hearing aid, but he doesnt want to get one. I think he is embarressed by the fact that he needs one, so he keeps saying they are too expensive, or that it wont work… etc. Any ideas of how to convince him lovingly that he should get one???
Its not about the money though… its him being willing to wear them…
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Comments on Hearing aids? »
REDUNTILDEAD @ 8:58 am
Be willing to pay for it–Insurance companies won’t pay for them–eyeglasses-yes; hearing aids-NO!
Kim @ 10:19 am
If you could get him to visit an audiologist’s office, that would be a good start. The law (I think it’s federal in the U.S.) requires a 30 day test period, so if you get the hearing aid and don’t like it, you can return it. That way, there’s no harm in trying it if it doesn’t work.
Also, if he’s worried about people knowing he has one, they have hearing aids so small you really cannot see them, even if you knew they were there. Some fit entirely within your ear canal, there’s just a small, clear removal tab-thing that is barely visible, and you’d have to know it’s there to find it. If you go visit the audiologist, they can show you the different models, and which would work for your father (if he has a severe hearing loss, the smallest one won’t do much good).
If it’s a matter if him just thinking he doesn’t need one, maybe try sitting down with him and discussing his communication situation. Ask how often people seem to mumble around him, how often he “forgets” what someone tells him (that’s often a sign of hearing loss; people aren’t forgetting, they just never heard it in the first place!), if he has to ask people to repeat or speak up a lot, and how much he thinks he can’t hear. Talk about how frustrating that is, and see if you can bring him around to the idea that this is a problem that needs a solution. Then maybe hearing aids will be something to discuss.
In the end, it’s his decision, though. He’s the one who has to deal with the most frustration of not understanding other people, and some people prefer that to having a hearing aid. If he really won’t wear it, it isn’t worth the money. But, some people go into it with that view, and after trying the hearing aid they don’t know how they lived without it.
Good luck!