Thanksgiving is a treasured time for family gatherings, filled with merriment, stories, and moments of gratitude. It’s also a good occasion to address essential health concerns, including hearing loss, in a supportive and compassionate setting. Thanksgiving is a holiday when family members get together, making it the ideal time to broach the topic of hearing loss with loved ones who may be dealing with it and encourage them to find solutions.
Planning a discussion to support your loved one
Developing a welcoming environment for someone with hearing loss can make a huge difference during a family get-together. The following are some guidelines to help everybody feel comfortable, particularly family members who are dealing with hearing loss:
- Minimize Background Noise: Keep music and other background noises at a reduced volume. It will be easier to have a focused conversation with your loved one without the distraction of loud background noise. Electronic devices, such as the TV, can present considerable distractions and it’s a good idea to turn them off before the conversation.
- Thoughtful Seating Arrangements: Your loved one will feel more involved in conversations if you seat them near the center of the table. Avoid putting them at the ends where they could struggle to hear conversations occurring further away.
- Notify Family Members in Advance: Be sure you discuss your plan to talk about hearing loss with your other family members. This will allow everyone to be ready for the discussion and your loved one with hearing loss won’t feel as though they are being ambushed. When the whole family is aware and involved, the conversation is less likely to seem like criticism from a single person and more like a family show of support.
Gently broaching the discussion
It’s important to be compassionate when initiating a conversation about a sensitive subject like hearing loss. Thanksgiving is a time when families gather and show support for one another and express gratitude, making it the perfect setting for this conversation. Here’s how to tackle the conversation:
- Express Gratitude and Care: Begin by articulating how much your loved one means to you. Discuss 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 Issue with Empathy: Let your loved one know that you’ve noticed they may be having difficulty hearing and that you’re bringing it up because you care about their well-being. Instead of focusing on the issue itself, talk more about how they can improve their quality of life. For example, you might say, “I’ve noticed it’s been a bit harder for you to keep up with conversations recently, and I want to make sure you can really enjoy our family gatherings”.
- Offer Immediate Tips for Better Communication: Suggest small, helpful short-term changes. If your loved one is having a difficult time understanding what people are saying, encourage them to ask that people speak more slowly and clearly. Remind them that it’s okay to ask people to repeat what they said in noisy environments. These approaches can help them feel more included and less frustrated during get-togethers.
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.
- Reassure Ongoing Family Support: Make sure they are aware that they won’t need to deal with any of the process by themselves. Let them know that the family is there to comfort them through the entire process, from making appointments to adjusting to new hearing aids if needed. Reinforce that taking this step is about enhancing their overall quality of life and enjoying more moments together.
- Propose a Hearing Test: Advocate for your loved one to schedule a hearing test as the next thing they should do. Let them know that you will help them schedule the appointment and of course, you will be there with them for support. Discuss the importance of getting their hearing tested in order to determine the state of their hearing health.
- Introduce the Idea of Hearing Aids: If your loved one seems to be open to the conversation, solutions like hearing aids can be discussed. Express that modern hearing aids are discreet, effective, and can significantly improve their ability to participate in conversations and enjoy social activities. You could say something like, “There are so many great options now that could help you hear better and make it easier to join in the conversations”.
Families showing support for each other is the real spirit of Thanksgiving.
Getting together with loved ones and showing support is the real spirit of Thanksgiving. 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 joy of family get-togethers once more. Don’t miss the opportunity to have this heartfelt conversation in an environment where they can feel the full support of their family.
Future holiday gatherings will be that much more pleasant and unforgettable after you have successfully encouraged your loved one to take this important first step. By exhibiting care and compassion, you will help them feel less isolated and more included in the moments that matter most.
Take a little time to initiate this important conversation this Thanksgiving. This act of love will better their lives every day not only during the holiday season.