04 Jun 2018

With Father’s Day approaching, it’s the perfect time to reach out to all the important father figures in your life! Unfortunately, family communication isn’t easy for everybody. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, men between the ages of 20 and 69 are twice as likely to have hearing loss than women. Your mother may have once accused him of having “selective hearing,” but it could be time to give your unusually reserved father the benefit of the doubt.

If a loved one has difficulty hearing, sometimes it’s hard to maintain a conversation past the initial “Hey, how are ya!” If you don’t get a chance to see your family that often, this may be not only frustrating but saddening. You want to catch up, share stories, listen to Dad’s take on this month’s current events and – if you’re lucky- hear a bad joke or two. So what can you do to sustain meaningful conversations with your family this Father’s Day? Encourage your father to get his hearing tested!

Hearing technology has come a long way in recent years. Modern hearing aids are small and comfortable, and have many accessory options (like the myPAL, useful for concerts and sporting events!). They aren’t the bulky devices your dad might associate with his Grandpa, and there is absolutely no shame in seeking hearing assistance at any age.  Utilizing a hearing device can be the difference between “Can you pass the peas, Dad?” and active participation in meaningful conversation or dinner-table banter.

This year, give your father the gift of better hearing! Schedule a hearing test or consider upgrading old hearing aids.  Don’t miss out on these meaningful moments with your family.