Chance to win £250 - share with Specsavers - as a hearing care centre - your tips and experience on encouraging older family members to have a hearing test NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We have been working with the team at Specsavers - as a hearing care centre - over on our sister site, Gransnet on all things hearing.

There's some great content here.

Specsavers say "It's no secret that there's a bit of a stigma surrounding age-related hearing loss - not surprisingly; and the clue is in the name, that it's age-related.... so having hearing loss isn't something that people always want to admit to as they get older. This can be a big drawback when it comes to getting the issue sorted. Left unresolved though, hearing loss can affect every aspect of life, especially the things that are most important such as relationships with family and friends".

With this in mind, if you suspect age related hearing loss in a relative or close friend, what would you do? Have you ever had to gently encourage your parents to go and get their hearing tested? Did they realise it was bad or were they in denial? What signs of age related hearing loss have you noticed with your family?

We know from a recent survey with gransnetters that this is an issue for a large number - especially at Christmas

Please share any tips and experience of this on this thread and you would win a £250 voucher for the store of your choice (from a list).

thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Please add your comment by 2 January 2015. Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I find the grandchildren have more effect than I do as a daughter - they seem to be able to make the grandparents laugh and make light of it. They even drove their grandmother there and got her sorted.

I don't think there's any convincing someone who's adamant that their hearing is fine. Having said that, turning down the TV so they can't hear it may be enough to encourage some of my relatives to have a test!

I have been trying to get my mum to go but she would`t ,So I booked a hearing test for us both and took her for lunch afterwards

My grandmother used to drive my mum mad by refusing to believe that her hearing was going, and so refusing to do anything about it. My grandmother lived with us in a separate bit of the house, and you could hear The Archers theme tune from the bottom of the garden! She must have given in eventually as she definitely had hearing aids by the time she was 80! (Possibly much earlier but I don't know.)

My mother lived with us. She did the exact same thing! However, she never got hearing aids and always had her tv volume so loud that I could follow a programme two floors below. I have no idea why she refused help, as she was quite happy to say that she found social occasions hard work due to not being able to hear conversation properly. She was a sensible woman in almost everything, under no illusions about any other age related problems. Just refused to even discuss hearing loss.

My own hearing fluctuates due to ms, so I hope that I will be more open to the idea of deafness as I, in turn, decline with age. It may help me that I did have a long term bf whose hearing was ruined in the Vietnam war and so wore aids from long before I knew him. Also two generations before me being a bit annoying about it... I love gadgets too, so if I can play with them a bit in some way that would really encourage me when the time comes

I still don't have the secret answer. I've been trying unsucessfully to get my mother-in-law a test. Her hearing loss has become so much more noticable over the last year. Its saddening for my husband as they can no longer talk over the phone without someone being at her house to 'interpret', and i know his mum feels excluded at family events. Definitely a huge stigma attached to aging a d hearing loss :( such a shame.

chat to the relative and see what their thoughts are

I was just blunt with my fil and told him that I thought there was a problem with his hearing and that he should go get tested. Didn't work.

I feel the stigma is around the fact that hearing loss is an indication of degeneration; accepting that your senses are waning is akin to accepting that you are nearer to the end. My mother has a very serious hearing problem but insists that society has started to mumble - it's us and definitely not her. In discussion, we have tried to normalise the problem but as health services do not conduct a hearing-screening test, thus acknowledging the likelihood of loss occurring, we are fighting a losing battle . . . . in our loud, clear, shouty voices !

My Grandma used to have the tv turned up ridiculous loud. We showed her the level we could comfortable hear it at and when she realised she couldn't she agreed it was time to get a test.

I've had this discussion with my Dad as I think he is finding it harder to hear things. He thinks it's nonsense of course.
I think you just need to be tactful, and remember that it is probably a very scary topic for them.
Maybe tell a little white lie about a friend who had a hearing test, tell them how amazing hearing aids are now they can even be invisible, and be very supportive by saying you'll go with them.
Remember to take it slow and don't get irritated with them.

My 30 year old fiance only recently had a hearing test and has found out his almost deaf in his right ear. He would constantly have the television up load and not hear me when i was talking just feet away. He decided to take the plunge when i said to him it was a danger if he couldnt hear oncoming traffic when he talks out son out for a walk or that he would mishear important moments like school plays, our son telling us about his day at school and such like.

Hmm, I know my dad struggled with getting (very much needed) hearing aids for my gran as she point blank refused testing. Years later, my dad now watches television with the volume up incredibly loud so I see history repeating itself
He jokes about being deaf but wouldn't go for a hearing test (doesn't like medical stuff) and I think at this point its up to him when he wants to do something about it.

I think there are so many issues that arise as you get older that hearing loss is so problematic and tricky to approach with an older person that it is often left until it's a real issue. Loss if hearing can result in loss of independence which in turn can make so many other issues greater and highlight the fact you're not getting any younger and increase reliance in often fraught busy relatives.
This has happened with my mother and she eventually went to the gp and spoke of problems. After being reassured it's fairly common and there are things that can be done to help she felt a lot better and as a result her self confidence has increased. A speedy reliable service from specsavers could reduce embarrassment, waiting times and help maintain independence for as long as possible.

We nagged and nagged my Dad until he finally caved in and went, he had damaged his hearing from industrial work from a young age, he got a hearing aid and has never looked back.

My mother-in-law definitely needs to be tested. She's in her late 70s and has the TV volume so loud you can hear it from the street! This is a running joke in the family but no one has dared to make a serious point about it yet. Looking ofrward to reading the MNers suggestions actually! I don't understand why it is such a big deal, she's fine with wearing glasses and dentures...

I found this to be a surprisingly difficult subject - I didn't realise elderly relatives would be so sensitive about it. However, explaining that my aunt (she is 85) was missing out on some of the things the children were telling her, and also a couple of times mishearing things quite badly, was enough to encourage her to take a hearing test. Getting her to wear her hearing aid is a whole new battle.

I would point out a older celebrity who wears a hearing aid.

My dads hearing was terrible but I knew he had a hearing aid. I did used to ask him to put it in as the TV had to be so loud but he wouldn't have it. One day he said it's no good keep saying about it as I'll never use it. When I got it I used it once and realised how annoying your mum was, I'm never putting it back in again!!!

My keep saying pardon more than answering a question I've asked her, I point out the Specsavers hearing test ad when it appears on the TV, I also picked up a leaflet when I went for my last sight test. I think it's tricky because, for a lot of people, it might make them feel as though old age is finally creeping up, this isn't remotely true though, hearing loss can affect anyone, regardless of age.

My mum sorry I missed that part out of my previous post!

It is very hard to convince older people that they might need hearing aids as they really don't like to be seen to be losing some of their abilities. They are often fiercely independent and don't want to admit when things aren't quite as they used to be. I have a stubborn elderly uncle who refuses to wear glasses and my grandma was definitely losing her hearing as the TV was so deafening and she also used to have her radio blaring away at night, but noone managed to convince her to get her ears tested. I had another Grandma who was struggling to walk, but there was no way she would use a stick! I think no matter what relatives and carers say, the elderly person involved has to want to have the tests themselves and be willing to use hearing aids if they need to, so maybe more advertising aimed at the elderly with the idea of reducing the stigma attached to hearing aids and maybe the Drs should be suggesting to their elderly patients that they get their hearing checked out as I found that most of my elderly relatives will usually listen to the advice of their own Dr (GP).

we have convinced my mum to have hearing test as she was showing signs..she did not want to accept it..but my aunt is a doctor and she convinced it..everybody believes what doctors say!!

my mum has needed a hearing aid for several years but as with her vision won't do anything about it. She misses out on so much and I don't understand her reluctance really. Unfortunately I don't live near her. If I did I would ask her to come with me while I have my hearing checked so that she could understand her options.

It is very difficult, however a friend's dad had new hearing aids and thought they were wonderful. He said he wished he'd gone much sooner and now realises how much he was missing out on. I relayed that to my father-in-law who has been getting worse by the year and he immediately booked an appointment and has had hearing aid fitting appointments. It seems that if someone they sort of know can recommend it and reassure them that they aren't even going to be visible and that they work well then this is the push. We'd been trying to get father-in-law to go for years.

My mum on the other hand is impossible! She misses out on most conversations and ends up paranoid as a result. She thinks we are constantly talking about her and being nasty. She also needs the TV volume so high that it disturbs my children, so instead we have it so high it hurts my ears but not high enough that she can actually hear it properly. Lose-lose situation. I have tried to convince her to get her hearing checked but she won't do it.

I've been lucky enough with my family that they realised they were staining to hear during conversations that they decided on their own back to get a hearing test done and the hearing aids to help. A friend who noticed her dad was obviously losing his hearing tried explaining to him how much better it would be for him to be able to hear everything properly again and no longer miss out bits of conversations or his favourite TV programmes and that was enough to encourage him.