Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids by Dr. Sylvia Rimm

Q. My father is in his late 50s and due to working in construction for the past 20 years he's had some hearing loss. When we're out to dinner as a family or at a party, he misses out on parts of conversations, and seems to feel left out (although he would never admit it). There are times when he misunderstands stories or conversations, because he can't make out voices over the background noise. It's been difficult enough to get him to the general doctor and it seems impossible to convince him to get his hearing checked — or even that he has a hearing problem in the first place.

Is this type of attitude toward hearing loss common among people of the boomer generation? What's the best way we can approach the touchy subject with him? Where can we tell him to get his hearing screened, and are there new technologies in hearing aids? He has some young grandchildren now and we want him to hear their first words and not feel left out of family conversations.

A. It may be reassuring for you to know that your dad is one of many "boomer" generation adults that is resisting the use of hearing aids to correct hearing loss. The Energizer Specialty Batteries Division of Energizer, Inc. recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 boomer generation adults who are suffering hearing loss. Although 72 percent admitted their hearing loss, only 11 percent chose to wear hearing aids to correct their problem. They most typically said they didn't like the way hearing aids looked or felt and that they believed wearing them would make them look or feel older. Paradoxically, nearly all of them were willing to wear glasses or contacts to aid their vision.

Now, the more difficult question is how to convince your dad to go to an audiologist for an assessment. First, I'd like to suggest you talk to your dad about his hearing problem privately and definitely not in front of his wife, who may already be struggling to convince him.

Be sure the television is off and speak directly to your dad, so that he doesn't miss any part of your communication. He is probably automatically already doing some lip reading and needs to see your lips while you are talking. Begin your conversation by reminding him of how much you love him. You will want to explain to your dad that new hearing aids have improved dramatically over previous models and are practically invisible and extremely comfortable. They even adjust automatically to varying sound environments such as restaurants and noisy family parties. Collect and print some information about new hearing aids from the Internet so that you can leave information for him to review after your discussion. Reassure your dad that he will be able to try using hearing aids temporarily before deciding to actually buy them, so that he'll have proof that they help before making his final decision. If you know of a family friend that already wears hearing aids, you can tell your father about that person's success with hearing aids. Finally, offer to call for an appointment and to go along with your dad on his visit to an audiologist, so that he truly knows you care and want him to be included in conversations and family fun.

For additional information on hearing health, visit http://www.energizer.com/livehealthy or search the Internet. You will be pleasantly surprised to find abundant information on a variety of hearing aids in all price ranges and practically invisible styles. If you have further questions related to hearing aids or any other family issues, submit your question online at http://www.sylviarimm.com. All submitted questions are answered.

Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or srimm@sylviarimm.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.