Untreated hearing impairment can effect the individual emotionally and psychologically. A hearing loss is a disability and can isolate the individual from family/friends and life it self.

You can help someone who has a hearing loss seek help by using one of the approaches:

• Discuss your concerns openly
• Suggest a hearing evaluation
• Offer to find an audiologist for them
• Go to the hearing evaluation with them
• If you have a hearing loss, share your personal experiences with them

Communication hints for significant others:

• Get close to the person: the best distance is about three feet. People with hearing loss rely on visual cues to "lip read," to fill in what they miss.
• Keep hands/objects away from your face when talking.
• Avoid shouting to the hearing impaired person. This will cause distortion of your voice.
• Speak naturally.
• Make sure your face is well lit. Don't have your back to a light or bright window.
• Control the noise level or go to a quiet area to talk. Having a room with sound absorbing materials (carpet, drapes) help quiets the surroundings.
• Touch the individual to get their attention before talking
• Be patient. The hearing-impaired person still may not understand you. If any thing, rephrase the sentence using different words.