Many individuals have powerful memories of a beloved family pet. Our lives can be enriched by many types of animals including; dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and birds. In many cases, they are our close companions. For people who have hearing loss, pets can provide additional benefits that improve symptom management and quality of life.
In some circumstances, pets convey these benefits because they have been specifically trained to do so. Service animals for individuals with hearing loss can be trained to provide specific types of assistance or even complete special tasks. But that’s not always the situation. Even a common animal companion with no special training can provide comfort and companionship. That’s why, in many cases, people with hearing loss and their animal companions develop a special and unique connection.
Can owning a pet provide improved mental health?
Neglected hearing loss can be extremely isolating, making it difficult to hear and understand those around you. This break in communication can cause the person with hearing loss to isolate themselves.
So, is owning a pet helpful for people who have hearing loss? Absolutely! There are lots of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. Clear communication with animals can be achieved without the need to hear verbal language. When somebody has hearing loss, it can be a really lonely time, and being able to bond with an animal friend can give emotional support and comfort.
Obviously, this doesn’t take the place of contact between humans. But when making human relationships is difficult, it can provide some comfort and support. Also, pets can give you more opportunities to connect with other people. Even if you aren’t necessarily talking with others or making new friends, doing things like taking your dog for a walk in the park can give you the opportunity to be around others.
Pets can give aid
Service dogs, for example, use specialized training to help their humans navigate the world more safely. Generally, that means these service animals are trained to pay attention to sounds that people with hearing loss may otherwise miss.
Here are a few things that a service dog can do for somebody with hearing loss:
- Service dogs can even be trained to distinguish their human’s name, and when someone is talking to that human. Individuals who have hearing loss will have an easier time communicating with others as a result.
- Detecting hazardous sounds like oncoming traffic.
- Letting their human know that the smoke alarm is sounding.
- Noticing (and alerting their human) to everyday sounds like tea kettles, alarm clocks, or the phone ringing.
- Hearing the doorbell ring or someone knocking on the door.
Service animals are specially trained to detect these sounds and convey them to their human. But other non-service animals can also be helpful to somebody with hearing loss. Even a non-trained dog can start barking when the doorbell rings. Similarly, cats or other animals can be very sensitive to unexpected noises or changes, and those who are aware and dialed in with their pets may be able to pick up on these things, as well.
A symbiotic relationship
Pets can add lots of benefits to your life without you even realizing it. Adding some structure to everyday life is one of those benefits. For instance, they will have to be walked, fed, and loved several times each day. A structured life like this can be really comforting. Many different kinds of animal-assisted therapies exist because of this.
But it’s essential to be thoughtful if you’re considering a pet or a service animal. You want to choose an animal that’s going to meet your requirements and that you will be able to adequately care for.
While a service animal can be a big help, they aren’t capable of providing the same level of lasting benefits or the same capabilities as a hearing aid. Pets can, however, be great companions and can improve your overall quality of life. For individuals with a hearing loss, they can be a significant, and unique, part of their life.
Take the first step toward hearing better. Give us a call today!