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

It's a problem when they have to have the television up so loud the ornaments rattle, the neighbours complain & it's impossible for a conversation to take place even in the next room! :/ It's difficult though because they want to pretend it's not happening, I don't know what to do to be honest.

book them in for an appointment without them knowing, take them for a pretend shopping trip , pretend you need to pick up something from specsavers then spring the appointment on them. Generally would be more embarrassed to not do the appointment and cause a scene in front of staff than to then just do it :-)

OK so being a 'silver surfer' myself I noticed that when I went for my eye's testing there was a 'free hearing test for the over 60' So I (and my husband) opted to have both done at the same time. You could make it a day out for your grandparents they will love the idea of having both done together getting a trip to the shops and possibly a free lunch on you!

For any of us, the degradation of senses is a sign of age.
I would encourage the entire family to be tested at the same time

I would express how discreet hearing aids are now and that being unable to hear is so isolating and can easily be rectified. I had a simple hearing test when my hearing declined and I just had blocked ears which was easily sorted and ended weeks of misery for me.

Such a common problem in older people and a lot of them don't want to admit it or "bother" the doctor with it. I think it would be a good idea if surgeries arranged an occasional drop-in session so anyone worried about their hearing (or their parent's hearing) could turn up and discuss it with a view to having a hearing test.

PLEASE take it from me .... go and get your hearing checked ..... just over two years ago on returning from holiday my right ear was blocked, but as it was not painful I didn't want to waste the Dr's time thinking it would get better on its own .... when I noticed I was turning my head to hear better ( I am only 46 ) and that I just didnt hear certain sounds I decided to go to one of those Hidden hearing vans that pop up in various towns ... They told me I was showing hearing loss to the right side and he believed I had wax blocking the ear , again I put off going to the Dr until several months later when i had a chest infection ... The Dr told me I had NO wax blocking the ear and sent me for an MRI .. which showed I had a brain tumour that was growing .. this had taken 60% of my hearing .. I was sent for treatment that sadly took the remaining hearing .. so please .... dont do what I did .. please go and get your hearing checked ...

my nan (88) lost her hearing some time ago, she wears a hearing aid when she remembers to change the batteries. She hears without it but sometimes its selective. She is so much better with it in and we find people get less frustrated with her so we have to make sure she always has the right batteries so that she can get by.

My great grandma had a hearing aid… she thought everyone should have one! Sadly she has now passed away but she always said without her hearing she would be alone which is why she had no issue with the hearing aids.

My Father is terribly hard of hearing, but insists everyone else mumbling is the problem. He misses out on so many conversations because of it but still won't visit the doctors for a hearing test.

I do believe if hearing tests were a scheduled thing via the GP, he would be more inclined to be tested but, until then, we will just have to continue to talk that little bit louder.

I advised my dad he needed to go for a check up as he was always complaining he couldn't hear us! he's got a hearing aid now but half the time he doesn't wear it. So annoying

I shamelessly used my children in the argument, because my mum couldn't hear what they were saying. She had a hearing test.

Thanks for all the comments.
Am pleased to say QuietsBatmobileLostAWheel has won the £250 voucher. Will email you now!