Hearing Loss Affects Family Relationships
April 30, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, and Energizer Battery conducted a survey to see how hearing impairment can affect a parent’s relationship with their adult children.
The survey, referred to as “All Ears,” included Baby Boomers and their adult children. It’s part of Energizer’s campaign called Live Healthy. Keeping Going. Nearly half of adult children surveyed (45%) said a parent’s hearing loss has had an effect on the relationship they have with that parent.
Other findings include:
One in three adults surveyed said their parent misses important details about their lives.
Nearly one in 10 adult children said they don’t communicate or share information with their parent as much as they would like to because hearing loss gets in the way.
Nearly all of the Baby Boomer parents polled (99%) said they wear glasses or contacts all the time or for specific tasks, but only 11% wear a hearing aid to correct their hearing impairment.
Did anything surprise you about these survey findings?
Personally, I believe that we put more value on seeing better than we do on hearing well. For instance, my health insurance will gladly cover eye exams each year, but will not cover a hearing test unless it’s needed as part of a prescription for a hearing aid. When did hearing slide in importance?
I’m not surprised by the findings that hearing loss in a parent affects relationships with adult children. My dad has severe hearing loss (not helped by a hearing aid) and can’t understand much of what I say. Obviously, I don’t communicate with him as much as other family members, on the phone or in person. The loss was gradual, and he doesn’t use sign language. If you have tips, I’m all ears…
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I HAVE HAD A HEARING IMPAIRMENT FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS NOW.IT HAS BECOME SEVERE IN THE PAST 4 OR 5 YRS.I HAVE LEARNED A VERY INTERESTING LESSON THROUGH THE YEARS. NUMBER ONE IS NO ONE REALLY CARES AND NUMBER TWO, THE PEOPLE WHO DO HEAR DO NOT LISTEN…SO WHY IS IT THAT THEY GET SO ANGRY WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO LISTEN BUT THEY ARE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING? I TELL SOME PEOPLE IT IS LIKE THIS: YOU ARE WHISPERING TO A DEAF PERSON, WHY? ITS LIKE TELLING A PERSON WITH ONE LEG TO COME ON AND HURRY UP….EMPATHY, SO MANY ARE WITH OUT IT OR DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS,THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE SYMPATHY AND FEEL SORRY FOR YOU.WELL NO THANKS,I TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM THOSE PEOPLE.IGNORANCE IS ABUNDANT IN THIS WORLD…WHAT A SHAME…I DONT NEED SYMPATHY,I NEED UNDERSTANDING OF MY IMPAIRMENT AS MUCH AS THEY WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING…