Medical treatment is a very personal experience. In a lot of cases, it’s unlikely that you would bring a friend or partner to your doctor’s appointments, but in the case of hearing treatment, audiologists recommend bringing a companion.
Bringing a companion to your audiology appointment can help you in your hearing treatment journey and potentially strengthen your relationship. Let’s look at a couple of perks that come with a two-person approach to treatment.
Benefits of Bringing a Loved One to Your Appointment
A couple of benefits to bringing a loved one to your audiology appointment include:
- Emotional support. Starting treatment for hearing loss can be an emotional experience. Having someone you’re comfortable with present at your appointments can help bolster you to approach treatment with confidence.
- A second pair of ears. Audiology appointments come with a lot of new information. You may discuss treatment options, hearing aid choices, test results and more. Having a second person there to listen or take notes gives you some breathing room to process and remember the information.
- Well-rounded information. Your partner or loved one may notice more signs of hearing loss than you do. If you’re turning the TV volume up more than usual, missing phrases or not hearing them, your partner will be able to communicate that to your audiologist for a clearer picture.
- Greater communication and emotional bonding. Hearing loss can often be alienating. Being unable to hear your partner can result in communication breakdowns and misunderstandings. Including your partner in your treatment keeps them in the know and allows them to be a part of the process toward better communication.
The Increased Likelihood of Successful Treatment With the Help of a Loved One
A study on the effects of bringing a significant other to audiology appointments found that it greatly increased the likelihood of hearing aid adoption and satisfaction with treatment. The satisfaction was even greater increased in correlation to the strength of the relationship between patient and partner.
Not only can bringing a loved one to your audiology appointment help increase the effectiveness of care, but it can lead to a stronger emotional bond. Sharing the experience can bring you closer to your loved ones by sharing and improving communication and lead to better times at DoubleShot Coffee Co in the future.
To schedule an appointment with one of our trusted audiologists, contact Eastern Oklahoma ENT today.