This holiday season give the hearing impaired adults in your life a book that will help them realize that they are not alone in their struggles with hearing loss. You won’t have to anguish over what to buy for them. And who knows, maybe next year, hearing aids will be on their wish list!
“Odyssey of Hearing Loss: Tales of Triumph” by author Michael A. Harvey describes the difficulties 10 individuals with acquired hearing loss faced and were able to rise above. In reading this book, readers will find there are others who have faced similar struggles as their own. Loved ones reading this book will discover ways to increase their awareness and develop compassion for those suffering from the isolation and depression often caused by untreated hearing loss.
In the book, “Listening Closely: A Journey to Bilateral Hearing”, author Arlene Romoff describes losing her hearing over time until it reached a level that even power hearing aids were of no benefit. She further describes her decision to undergo surgery for Cochlear Implantation in one and then both ears. Arlene’s descriptions of this process is revealing and encouraging for anyone facing similar challenges.
Barbara Stenross portrays personal accounts of people struggling with hearing loss in her book, “Missed Connections”. The author dedicated seven years to research hearing loss and interview real people. She discusses the fatigue associated with straining to listen, the aggravation of missing parts of conversations, and the pain experienced when one is accused of selective hearing. She also outlines various technologies that can improve communication skills and offers communication strategies for those with hearing loss.