6 practical ways to combat the social isolation of hearing loss

Don’t let hearing loss keep you at home – amp up your social life with these key strategies to keep the conversation flowing.

By Lana Hallowes

“Fancy meeting everyone for dinner this week?”

My friend waited expectantly while I felt the familiar dread and panic rise in my chest. There was simply no way I’d be able to follow the conversation in a noisy restaurant.

“Oh I can’t make it, sorry,” I lied.

If you also find yourself avoiding time with friends because of hearing loss, I ‘hear’ you. Well, actually I don’t, but I do understand. I live with a severe hearing impairment and struggle in social situations, too. But we are not alone. Not at all.

According to multiple studies, hearing loss is inextricably linked to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. What’s more, this increases as we age.

Here’s what we can do to improve our social inclusion and emotional wellbeing when living with hearing loss:

1. Get a hearing check

When you bite the bullet and get hearing aids, you are taking a big step in re-engaging with your life and the people in it. Yet only 1 in 5 people who could benefit from hearing aids actually gets them. 

Amplification and competing noise reduction, as well as listening to device audio directly through your hearing aids, is a game changer (as are these other smart tech for hearing loss). 

There’s also a range of accessories available that can help you get the most out of your hearing aids. You can also find assistive listening devices to help address your specific needs, so be certain to research all your options.

That said, hearing aids are not a cure for hearing problems. Nor are they the cure for social exclusion. They are an aid, just like reading glasses. 

What also helps (a lot), though, is the next point.

2. Let people know  

When the people around you are aware of your hearing loss and what they can do to accommodate this, they include you. But most will need tips on how to do this. 

Ask them to:

• Face you when talking, so you can read their lips. 
• Turn off the telly and other background noise when you visit. 
• Get your attention before speaking by saying your name or gently touching you. Explain how this will help you to tune into them and avoid having to repeat themselves. 
• Speak slower rather than louder. Volume is distorting if you wear hearing aids and also, many people with hearing loss just need a little extra time to comprehend what’s been said. It’s a brain processing thing. 

3. Eat alfresco 

If you find it easier to hear in outdoor settings, ask family and friends to eat alfresco with you.

Their home dining table with the hard echoey floors, or the packed restaurant with the ‘ambient’ music is not going to be hearing-friendly. Taking things outside can help.

In winter, choose venues who have optimised their outdoor dining spaces to defeat the cold. Think patio heaters, outdoor fire pits, cosy blankets and smaller, intimate spaces. 

4. Get social online 

Thanks to social media it’s so easy to chat and keep up to date with family and friends online. Best of all, you can do this from the peace and quiet of your own home.

Online conversations are a level playing field and at least you’ll know that any awkwardness isn’t due to your hearing.

5. Bluetooth your hearing aids to your phone 

Most hearing aids have Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to make and answer calls with your hearing aid. Pairing your hearing aids to your smartphone will make for crisp, clear phone conversations. 

Each hearing aid manufacturer has an app that you can download for free from the App Store or Google Play. Most apps will step you through the process to connect your hearing device, but just in case yours doesn’t the general steps for iPhone or Android phones are as follows.

To connect your iPhone:

• Turn your hearing aids on
• Go to Settings on your phone.
• Tap on ‘Accessibility’
• Tap on ‘Hearing Devices’
• Turn Bluetooth on (the phone should detect your hearing aids automatically)
• Tap on your hearing device when shown, then click ‘Pair’
  

To connect your Android phone:

• Go to Settings on your phone.
• Tap ‘Connected devices’  then ‘Pair new device’
• Choose your hearing aid from the list of available devices

Incidentally, it’s also a joy listening to music, podcasts and audiobooks this way!

6. Become a hearing loss advocate 

Speak up and be an advocate to help make the world more inclusive for you and others with hearing loss.  

How upsetting is it when people say, “Oh it doesn’t matter” when you ask them to repeat something? It matters greatly to you that you didn’t hear what was said. 

Gently point out how this makes you feel – excluded and dismissed. It may not seem like a big deal to everyone, but this little teaching moment will have a flow on effect. The next time this person is about to say, “It doesn’t matter” to someone else with hearing loss, maybe they’ll think twice. 

You don’t have to lose your social self, along with your hearing. Stay strong, be willing to experiment to find what works for you, join in and stay connected.