The holidays can often be a difficult time, especially if you have an older relative who isn’t aware of their hearing loss. Starkey’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Archelle Georgiou, has some advice to share on handling hearing loss around the holidays which we hope will help you navigate the days ahead:
Helping loved ones be aware
“The holidays are a time when we get together usually with families, and sometimes after a long time apart. I would suggest that people pay attention to their parents, their family, their relatives. Is the television at a much higher volume than you ever remember it being? Are they asking you to repeat yourself more than they have in the past? These could be signs that your parents have gone over a threshold of having a degree of hearing loss that really needs to be addressed. And perhaps the best gift you can give is to be aware and to then help them on that journey.”
Make it a game
“If you think that someone in your family or multiple people in your family are suffering some hearing loss, play a game! Go to starkey.com.au and have everybody do the online hearing test. Have fun with it! Don't stigmatise it. Don't hide it. Do it yourself. Take action to make everybody aware of their own level of hearing.”
Play it gently
“Keep in mind that the person who has the hearing loss, in many cases, they're in this cognitive dissonance. They don't like that they have a loss. They don't like the impact that it's having on their life. Be gentle and help them understand that hearing aids aren’t what they used to be. They’re less stigmatised than ever. They can stream phone calls, track physical activity, maintain connection to others and even provide a connection to the internet and medication or birthday reminders. Remind them that hearing really is the thing that connects us to humanity and connects us to each other, and you will be there to support them on the journey ahead.”
It’s the most wonderful time to hear! We hope your holiday season this year is filled with warmth, joy and togetherness.