The Thanksgiving holiday focuses on delicious meals, time with family, and lively conversation. When someone you care about faces hearing loss, they may feel isolated at the dinner table, regardless of the loving family around them.
A holiday gathering, despite its formality, provides a perfectly supportive setting to initiate a dialogue about one’s hearing health.
The Rationale Behind Using Thanksgiving for a Hearing Health Conversation
The dinner table is where tales are exchanged, humor is enjoyed, and updates are exchanged. But for someone with untreated hearing loss, this environment can be frustrating and isolating. Thanksgiving is an ideal time to gently voice your concerns and offer support if you’ve observed a loved one avoiding conversation, often asking others to repeat themselves, or making more errors in hearing.
The benefit? The people they trust most are there, making it more straightforward for them to feel supported rather than put on the spot.
Creating a supportive setting for improved dialogue
Small environmental modifications, made before any discussion begins, can boost your loved one’s comfort and confidence level during the event.
- Minimize background noise. Minimize background noise by keeping the TV or music volume low to lessen auditory distractions.
- Be mindful of placement. Position your loved one in the center or near people they talk with most easily.
- Ensure good lighting, as well-lit areas allow people with hearing loss to more easily observe lip and facial movements.
- Inform close relatives in a quiet way that you plan to discuss the topic supportively so they can offer empathetic support.
Making these simple changes helps reduce communication difficulties and lessens any emotional stress associated with discussing health.
Methods to broach this subject without causing distress
The focus of a productive discussion should be on care and support, not on correction. Ensure the discussion does not become a directive demanding immediate change. Rather, gently mention that you’ve perceived hearing difficulty and that your goal is to help, not pass judgment.
“I love that we’re all together today, and I want to make sure you can enjoy it fully. I’ve noticed it’s sometimes hard for you to hear everything that’s going on. Have you thought about having your hearing checked?”
Let them talk. Give them time to respond. They might feel relieved that you noticed, or they could ignore the comment. Don’t force the issue no matter what their response is. Provide your support, and if the time is right, bring it up later.
What to provide: support and practical suggestions
If they seem willing to look into solutions, you should be prepared with some non-intimidating and helpful recommendations.
- Discuss hearing evaluations, clarifying that a hearing test is an easy and non-invasive procedure.
- Help them see by comparing hearing aids to glasses; both are tools that improve quality of life without negative stigma.
- Better hearing can lead to better relationships, decreased stress, and enhanced confidence, so be sure to emphasize these benefits.
It is not the purpose to solve all the issues during this initial discussion. The purpose is to plant the initial seed of support that can mature over time.
Thanksgiving: A time for thanks and a move to improved hearing
Thanksgiving time is centered on being grateful for our loved ones, and this sometimes involves having necessary discussions that ultimately improve their lives. While discussing hearing loss can be initially uncomfortable, addressing it in a familiar, warm environment helps your loved one feel seen, supported, and ready for action.
Take this Thanksgiving as the moment to start the conversation if you have a loved one dealing with hearing issues. The outcome may be a life-changing improvement.