What is a Caregiver to Do? Mom Will Not Get a Hearing Aid.
I wrote in a previous post about my adventures to the doctor with Mom. When we relocated, it was a great opportunity to find a doctor that specialized in geriatrics. I found a great one!
There were a half dozen items on the list for the first visit, including walking and hearing loss.
The PC physician evaluated walking during our visit. She had Mom walk with and without a walker. Mom seemed more confident and steadier when she walked with a walker. It just so happened that the physician had a walker to give to Mom. After a little convincing, she accepted it. Now she does laps in the house and if the weather is nice, sometimes outdoors. It is great to see her moving around.
Also, we received a referral to the audiologist, and off we went. The first visit was the hearing test and evaluation. We found out what we already knew – Mom’s hearing loss is great, and she cannot hear well. After spending 60 minutes with the audiologist discussing results and what could be done to help her hear better, she decided to move forward with getting hearing aids. There was little pushback or denial from Mom. She agreed that she could near hear, and that hearing would improve her life.
The next visit to the audiologist was several weeks later and that was when she would receive her hearing aids. The second thoughts and excuses began the night before our appointment. “It seems stupid to do this now. I am too old and should have done this years ago.” It is expensive and this is money that she could leave for her children (her children would like her to spend this money to improve her well-being).
During the second visit, we had a great discussion with the audiologist. He was patient and explained things. She tried out her new hearing aids and could hear better. Then it came time to practice putting them on and taking them off. It went downhill from there. She could not do it, it bothered her hair, her hair was in the way, her hands were shaky. Yet, the audiologist provided encouragement and she even had a 30-day money back guarantee. She could take them home and come back in a week to see how she was doing. The answer was, “I need to think about it because this requires too much training and I have other issues.” The audiologist and I attempted to reason with her and explain the benefits of better hearing, yet she refused. We walked out of the office without the hearing aids. Mom still cannot hear.
This reinforced how much mom cannot divert from her routine. Anything that requires a little effort is not worth it to her. To me, it was frustrating and sad. I have not given up. I will continue to help her be involved in our daily lives and make sure she is included in conversations and have my siblings continue to call her a few times a week.
There are many articles that talk about how hearing improves overall health. It is a shame that when some of us reach a certain age, it is not worth it to keep going.
Questions for you:
Does the person you care for use tools such as walkers and hearing aids to help lead a more fulfilling life?
Did you have a challenge getting the person you care for to get a hearing aid, walker, or another tool? What did you do to help encourage them?
What other things can I do to help my mother live a full life without hearing?
Helpful Resources:
Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)
Seniors and Hearing Loss - The American Academy of Audiology
How Healthy Hearing Enriches Your Life | SeniorLiving.com
Healthy Aging Tips for the Older Adults in Your Life | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)