COVID-19 PANDEMIC CREATES CHALLENGES FOR IDAHOANS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING

World Hearing Day on March 3 is an opportunity to spotlight the problem and share solutions

BOISE, ID – While wearing face masks and physical distancing are a necessity to save lives and protect people from COVID-19, their widespread use during the pandemic has created new challenges and more isolation for many people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Hearing loss is an invisible disability that affects nearly 50 million Americans. People who are hearing impaired often rely on facial expressions and lip-reading to communicate. A recent survey found 95% of people in the hearing loss community who were asked believe masks have created additional communication barriers for them. Not only can they not read lips, but physical distancing makes conversations harder. Many also say they do not have access to captioning when using all technology platforms, which have been used even more during the pandemic.

“The main complaints that patients come in with are I can't understand the grocery clerk anymore because she's wearing a mask, or I can't understand the bank clerk because there is a plastic shield in between us, or I can't physically go into the bank anymore because I have to use the drive through,” said Dr. Kate Savage, an Idaho Elks Hearing and Balance Audiologist.

“When we would go to places, people would ask certain questions and it was hard to understand what they were saying. I kept saying, what was that you said? I'm not quite understanding what you're saying. It was very frustrating,” said Jelinda Mosher.

Jelinda and her husband Ron Mosher reached out to St. Luke's for help for their hearing loss early on in the pandemic.

“We both realized that we did have some type of hearing loss, but when the pandemic hit, we didn't realize how bad it was until we had our masks on. And with the plexiglass going up, we could hardly understand anybody and we realized that we needed help,” Jelinda said.

These new communication barriers also impact health and well-being in other ways. About 70% of survey respondents said they were more aware of their hearing loss due to the pandemic. Nearly half noticed increased anxiety, isolation, and loneliness during the pandemic, and say they feel less connected to friends and family.

Helping Those with Hearing Loss During COVID-19

Solutions like masks with a clear section around the mouth have been developed to help improve communication with those who are hard of hearing. Unfortunately, they are not always available everywhere they are needed.

Audiologists say if you have hearing loss, it’s important to immediately tell the person with whom you are speaking so they can speak louder. You can ask to move somewhere quieter and have them write down any important details or information.

If you or a loved one wears a hearing aid, check to make sure it is working properly, the batteries are charged, and the device is clean. When wearing a mask, make sure hearing aids are secure. Often, a mask that ties in the back is easier to use than one that wraps around the ears. A mask extender is another solution to clasp the ear loop mask around the back of your head instead.

Dr. April Ward is the Director of the Idaho Elks Hearing and Center and Audiologist. She says the clinic is seeing patients sooner than they might have come in before and ordering more hearing aids for them, especially as people are relying on virtual connections.

“There's Bluetooth now built into the hearing aids where you can stream audio directly from your iPad or your smartphone to the hearing aids." said Dr. Ward. "So, if people are doing zoom meetings and they join from their phone, they're able to hear much better because they can hear the audio directly in their hearing aids, which is corrected for their hearing loss.”

To communicate with people who have hearing loss, be sure to let the person know you are talking to them by catching their eye or passing a note. Speak loud and clear, ask how they prefer to communicate and offer to move the conversation somewhere quieter. Be sure to use body gestures and hand signals to enhance your communication and thumbs up or down to confirm when needed. It's also helpful to write down important information. If you do not have a piece of paper, the notepad on a mobile phone is a useful option.

“Most smartphones now have a dictation app like an iPhone. You can just use the notes and hit the little microphone and it will type out whatever you say. Some people find that is much easier and quicker than writing it out,” Dr. Ward added.

“The most important thing when you're communicating with someone that you feel like is having trouble hearing you, and you're wearing a mask, is just to be really considerate,” Dr. Savage said. “Be kind. I've had a lot of patients report that people get frustrated quickly when they can't understand them. That's a very heartbreaking thing for me to feel, to hear that patients are experiencing frustration or somebody is getting angry with them because they cannot hear.” 

World Hearing Day

World Hearing Day is an annual global advocacy event and the largest awareness campaign that calls for action to address hearing loss and related issues. It is celebrated on March 3 and aims to raise awareness about hearing loss, and to promote ear and hearing care.

This year’s theme is, “Hearing care for ALL! Screen. Rehabilitate. Communicate.” World Hearing Day 2021 will also mark the launch of the first World Report on Hearing, which aims to drive policy actions for the integration of ear and hearing care into national health policies.

Hearing Loss Prevention and Care

Jelinda and Ron say they encouraged one another to get over the stigma and finally get hearing aids.

"We just felt inadequate that we couldn't understand and had to keep asking, what?," recalled Jelinda. "That's kind of humiliating when you have to do that. Then sometimes you just shake your head, yes, even though you don't understand, and then we would leave and go, what? What was that they said?"

Good hearing and communication are important at all stages of life. For many, hearing loss can be avoided through preventative actions such as protection against loud sounds and good ear care practices and immunization. When identified in a timely manner and with appropriate care, hearing loss and related ear diseases can be addressed. Those who are at risk of hearing loss should have their hearing checked regularly.

“You want to hear what's going on in the world. You want to hear the birds singing again, have those conversations in a car, and go to a movie house and actually hear the words. It’s the simple things that you miss out on a lot, so that's what you need to prepare for, is to relive life again with hearing," Jelinda said.

If you or a loved one suspects hearing loss, please reach out to Idaho Elks Hearing and Balance Center or your provider for further guidance.