How to Get a Loved One to Wear a Hearing Aid 

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), about 15 percent of American adults over 18 years of age suffer from some form of hearing deficiency. Keeping in mind these findings, it is safe to say that hearing loss is becoming increasingly common as the number of patients keeps rising each year. To make matters worse, letting any sort of hearing problem go untreated can result in long-term side effects, even damaging hearing permanently. For this reason, it is important that hearing loss is treated at the right time and perhaps the best way to do so is via hearing aids. 

However, while hearing aids are extremely beneficial, getting someone to wear them can often be a significant problem. For those who are not used to wearing them, the fear of getting mocked or pointed out can be overwhelming and the uncertainty as to how others will react can lead to a serious reluctance towards wearing hearing aids. Therefore, before actually getting a loved one to wear hearing aids, you have to convince them. Here's how you can convince them: 

1. Underline the benefits

To convince someone to do anything, you have to make sure they understand all the benefits that will come from that action. Similarly, in the case of hearing aids, you have to ensure that the person you are trying to convince to wear hearing aids knows all the benefits and understands the positive changes that will stem from that.  

For instance, if your loved one struggles to converse properly in social gatherings due to hearing deficiency, you can tell them how this problem can be solved by wearing hearing aids. Not only will this boost confidence, but also eliminate the risk of becoming a social recluse.  

2. Create a supportive environment

As most people are unsure of how others will react to them wearing hearing aids, which creates a sense of discomfort, it is imperative that a supportive environment is created whereby your loved one feels comfortable wearing a hearing aid. To create such an environment, you have two options; firstly, you can encourage your loved one and keep motivating them internally so that the level of discomfort decreases or you can enlist the help of a support group where others with the same problem can interact with your loved one. A supportive environment will not only create awareness but also eradicate the resistance towards hearing aids. 

3. Schedule a follow-up visit

When it comes to hearing aids, the effectiveness is often judged by the results that a person achieves. Hence, once a loved one starts wearing a hearing aid, you should ensure that you keep following up and ask about the results that have been achieved. If not much of a difference has been made in terms of hearing, you should offer support and perhaps suggest ways that can enhance the results.  

While it may be hard to motivate your loved one to wear hearing aids, the hard work truly pays off once the benefits are realized.