As we age, our body doesn’t function the way it used to. Our eyesight becomes weak. Our bones become very fragile. We have to keep an eye on the food that we eat. We are more prone to accidents and diseases.
One of the things that aging affects is our hearing which in worse cases would require hearing aids. However, most elders don’t want to wear them. Why is that? Let’s understand their situation and a few reasons below.
Why elders don’t want hearing aids
1. Acceptance
Hearing loss, amongst others, is often associated with old age. It’s going to be hard for some people to accept that they’re old. It’s going to be harder for them to accept that it is showing. That is why people try too hard to look young with different face regimes and wearing bright and young-looking clothes and, as much as possible, try to avoid items that aid them such as a walking stick, a wheelchair, and yes — hearing aids.
2. Adaptation
Imagine teaching your grandparents to use Netflix, or creating a Facebook account, or even just simply starting the computer. Change is something that elders may find frightening. They are not used to all these kinds of technology because back in their young days, they didn’t have it.
In times when you need to teach your parents or grandparents something technological, don’t get easily annoyed when they don’t get it the first time. Always remember that they were the ones who taught you how to walk and hold a spoon and fork. This is the least that you can do for them.
3. Fashion
Wearing a hearing aid isn’t the best fashion statement especially if you want to look young. There are some who think that a hearing aid just doesn’t look nice. What they don’t know is that these devices would be very helpful for their daily activities and that there are a lot of designs to choose from — even something that would appear invisible to other people.
4. Price
Don’t get us wrong. Hearing aids can be expensive. You are going to shell out a lot of cash just to get a piece. But think of it this way — you are making a great investment. You wouldn’t have to ask people to repeat themselves. You would find it more comfortable on a daily basis. Life just seems a lot smoother when you have one.
5. Denial
This is common not only in elders. They try to deny the fact that they can’t hear well. They even try to pin it on others by saying that they’re speaking too fast, too softly, or that they’re too far away. However, most hearing loss cases happen gradually. You don’t know that it’s already happening until it becomes severe.
To most people, hearing loss is a sensitive issue that they try to shove off. They live a life of little to no sounds. They’re missing out on a good quality of life just because of their fear and unwillingness to wear a hearing aid. Learn to motivate your loved ones suffering from hearing loss of the many benefits of wearing one and who knows, maybe you can bring back color (and sound) to their life.
