| By Rx Hearing Aids, Inc
“I’m tired of being a living hearing aid, having to repeat myself to loved ones!” This is a common expression for many people with senior family members suffering from hearing loss. As we age, it is not uncommon to find that we need some aid hearing. But what is the best way to broach this sensitive subject? How can we overcome their reluctance to get the hearing solution they need? Not a cheap hearing aid, but a quality, medical-grade device.
Let’s start with the facts. One in three seniors aged 65+ have hearing difficulties; nearly half of all seniors over age 75 suffer from a degree of hearing loss that requires some aid hearing. Most hearing loss is not curable, and the best solution is an affordable hearing aid, an in-the-ear hearing aid. Some 28.8 million Americans could benefit from using an in-the-ear hearing aid, but fewer than 16% wear them. Less than 30% of those aged 70+ who need aid hearing have ever used them.
Sometimes seniors are in denial about hearing loss. Perhaps they think that needing aid hearing is a handicap, stigmatizing them as being old. Wearing a hearing aid may be seen is an acknowledgment of this handicap; it is a vanity issue and a powerful hidden objection. In some cases, seniors don’t understand the consequences of hearing loss, believing that it’s simply a natural part of aging.
Ignoring hearing loss can also lead to serious safety risks. Impaired hearing makes driving dangerous, and inability to communicate effectively with medical professionals or first responders will complicate a potential emergency. If hearing loss goes untreated, it increases the risk of cognitive decline, memory problems, depression, anxiety, and overall social isolation.
Also, auditory nerves require stimulation to work optimally; without that stimulation, the nerve stops working. This type of hearing loss is called “sensorineural hearing loss”. When the nerves stop working, there is less activity in the auditory complex. The ability to recognize speech and other sounds declines, and once the nerves are badly affected, the damage is not reversible. The inner ear also affects a person’s balance, meaning there’s a higher risk of injury due to falling.
The longer a senior delays getting aid hearing, the less stimulation their brain and auditory nerves get. However, when in-the-ear hearing aids are worn, the brain receives enough stimulation to continue functioning properly.
All the facts cited above are true, and they are sound reasons for using a hearing aid. However, when a senior (or any person) resists a new idea or refuses to change, they are not likely to be persuaded by facts or statistics alone. If the facts about hearing loss and getting aid hearing could persuade them to act, they would already have done so. You must have the facts at hand and be ready to answer objections, but facts alone will not overcome stubborn resistance. You must uncover and draw out the true, unspoken objections to this very sensible idea. Here is how.
Plan ahead. Do not start this conversation when others are present. One objection to this idea may be simple embarrassment about needing aid hearing. Bringing the subject up while in company might make it more difficult to talk about the problem. Do not start the conversation by pressing them on the issue. Ask if they are finding it more difficult to carry on conversations, or if they are finding some sounds distracting or difficult to hear.
Getting them to talk will bring opportunities to draw out and resolve objections. You are likely to hear reasons like, “it’s too much of a hassle. There are office visits, doctor appointments, fittings, expensive tests.”
Many seniors have experienced the hassle of shopping in hearing aid stores, looking in vain for an affordable hearing aid. Not only were they put off by the price of an in-the-ear hearing aid itself, but they were also told that they would need expensive audiology testing. The entire package could cost thousands of dollars. Now is the time to feed in the facts, not the health statistics about hearing loss but the advantages of new devices from RxHearing. It is likely that at some point, these facts are going to hit upon an objection that has been stopping your loved one from acting.
Be sure to visit the RxHearing website before holding this conversation. There you will learn about private and free online testing using the services of a professional audiologist online, not in some testing room. You will learn about the professional qualifications of their staff and the huge savings your senior loved one can make by using this online service. The information on this website will equip you to effectively deal with objections.
It is very likely that one hidden objection is cost. Seniors who visit hearing aid stores may have seen outrageously high prices for packages that include audiology services, and they may be thinking that a hearing aid is just out of the question financially. A good way to address this objection, hidden or not, is to say something like, “I know of a complete hearing aid package that offers guidance from an audiologist online. Besides, they offer a medical grade device with features like compatibility with Bluetooth for hearing aids
But what if your loved one simply refuses to consider it? Well don’t be discouraged. All good salespeople know that they often fail. A real estate agent who makes a sale on “only” one in three attempts would soon own the company. A baseball player who gets a hit in “only” one half of his trips to the plate will surely be the year’s Most Valuable Player. If your loved one is still reluctant to discuss their reasons for refusing to wear a hearing aid, you might say something like, “Of course, I respect your choice but in case you should ever change your mind, let me tell you about a wonderful device to aid hearing a friend of mine has found.”
Lastly, follow up on this conversation by politely declining to be a “human hearing aid.” When asked, say something like, “I’m not comfortable talking so loudly into your ear. It bothers other people.” Suggest a bargain- you will act as a human hearing aid for a limited time if they take an online hearing test with you sometime during the period. That will give you a chance to get them to the RxHearing website, to have a free evaluation, and to discover the affordable hearing aid options available to them.
After you succeed, be sure to continue to follow up, making sure that your senior loved one wears the hearing aid consistently. The brain needs some time to adapt to a “new” environment. Be patient and supportive. Hearing aids are not a cure for hearing loss, but they will make your loved one’s life better in an important way.
That is what Rx Hearing does and it is what OurSeniors.Net provides thru its Senior Online and Print Magazine. Our website and our senior living magazine are dedicated to serving the needs of seniors in every way possible. Please look to us for senior living resources of all types, including aid with the important topic of hearing health.
