Many people have powerful memories of a cherished family pet. Cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and a wide array of other animals can enhance our lives, and even, in some situations, become close companions. For people with hearing loss, pets can provide additional benefits that improve symptom management and quality of life.
Sometimes, pets are specifically trained to provide special benefits. Particular tasks or specific kinds of help can be carried out by these animals which are trained to provide help to people with hearing loss. But that isn’t always the case. Even an everyday animal companion with no special training can provide comfort and friendship. That’s why, in many cases, individuals with hearing loss and their animal friends develop a special and unique connection.
Can owning a pet provide improved mental health?
Neglected hearing loss can be incredibly isolating, making it hard to hear and understand those around you. Communication becomes fraught and, because of this, you might spend less time socializing with other people.
So, is having a pet helpful? Definitely! There are lots of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. Clear communication with animals is possible without needing to hear verbal language. When someone has hearing loss, it can be a very lonely time, and being able to bond with an animal friend can offer emotional support and comfort.
Clearly, this doesn’t replace contact between humans. But it can offer some solace and assistance when making other connections can be difficult. Pets can also help you discover 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 be ideal assistants
Service dogs, for example, use specialized training to help their humans get around the world more safely. People with hearing loss will often fail to hear important sounds around them and service animals are specifically trained to pay attention to those sounds and to provide assistance to their human.
Here are a few things that a service dog can do for someone with hearing loss:
- Detecting a knock at the door or a doorbell ringing.
- Service dogs can even be trained to recognize their human’s name, and when someone is talking to that human. This can help those with hearing loss better take part in communication.
- Notifying their human when the smoke alarm goes off.
- Detecting the sound of approaching traffic or other dangers.
- Noticing (and alerting their human) to everyday sounds like tea kettles, alarm clocks, or the phone ringing.
Sensing these sounds and alerting their human to them is something these animals are especially trained to do. But service animals aren’t the only way one could benefit from having an animal around. Even a dog with no training will often start barking when somebody rings the doorbell or knocks on the door. Cats and other animals will also usually react to abrupt or unfamiliar sounds which their owner will pick up on if they are in tune with their pet.
A symbiotic relationship
Pets can add many benefits to your life without you even realizing it. Adding some structure to everyday life is one of those benefits. For example, they will need to be walked, fed, and loved several times each day. A structured life like this can be very comforting. Many different types of animal-assisted therapies exist because of this.
But if you’re thinking about getting a pet or service animal, it’s important to give it some thoughtful consideration. You will need to be able to properly care for the animal you choose and you will want one that will meet your needs.
While a service animal can be a big help, they aren’t capable of providing the same degree of lasting benefits or the same capabilities as a hearing aid. However, pets can be an important part of your life and provide a trusty companion. For people with a hearing loss, they can be an invaluable, and unique, part of their life.
Take the first step toward hearing better. Give us a call today!