The National Institute On Deafness reported that only 30% of adults who could benefit from hearing aids actually use them. These stats were based on 70+ year old adults. Amongst 20–69 year old’s the percent drops to just 16%.

As we can see, many people with hearing problems do not seek hearing loss treatment. There may be several reasons behind this, whether it’s reluctancy to wear a hearing aid or avoidance due to anxiety. Your loved one may have taken some persuasion to visit an audiologist. It can be helpful to accompany your loved one to the appointment, to offer support. When you’re taking your loved one to the audiologist, these three simple tips may come in handy.

Do some research

Your loved one might be a little anxious about their trip to the audiologist. Perhaps it’s their first time having an audiologist appointment? Maybe they’ve avoided the appointment previously? You can help your loved one by performing research on their behalf. Research what they can expect from the appointment, including the hearing test procedure.

Hearing tests measure how well a patient can hear various sounds, frequencies and pitches. Most audiology evaluations include a pure tone audiometry test. The test detects the softest sound that the patient can hear.

A hearing evaluation may also include a speech discrimination test. The test allows the audiologist to understand how the patient can separate background noise from speech. When your loved one knows what to expect, they are likely to feel more comfortable.

Prepare questions

When you’re taking your loved one to an audiologist, suggest that they write down any questions they have. You can also write down a few questions of your own. A few examples could include:

  • What can you do to stop hearing loss getting worse?
  • Can you explain how different hearing aids work?
  • Which hearing aids are the best for mild/severe hearing loss?
  • How often do hearing aids need to be replaced?
  • Which other assisted listening devices are available?
  • Is the hearing loss the same in both ears?
  • What is the cause of hearing loss?

Take notes 

At an audiology appointment, there’s often a lot of information to take in. To help your loved one remember everything, it can be helpful to take a few notes. Once the appointment is over, they might be glad of a few key points to look back on.

After the appointment, your audiologist will take some time to reflect on the information and consider the best treatment options for you. You don’t need to go overboard, just a few of the key pieces of information. Alternatively, you could ask your audiologist to write down the most important points for you.

Most importantly, remember that your loved one may be feeling anxious. Attempt to create a calm experience, where they feel relaxed and at ease.