Many individuals have strong recollections of a cherished family pet. Cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and a wide variety of other animals can enrich 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.
In some circumstances, pets convey these benefits because they have been specifically trained to do so. 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 offer comfort and friendship. That’s why, in many cases, individuals with hearing loss and their animal friends develop a special and unique bond.
Is having a pet good for mental health?
Neglected hearing loss can be incredibly isolating, making it hard to hear and understand those around you. This break in communication can cause the individual with hearing loss to isolate themselves.
So, is having a pet worthwhile? Definitely! There are a number of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. And while clear communication is essential with animals, it doesn’t depend on verbal language. When somebody has hearing loss, it can be a really lonely time, and being able to connect with an animal friend can give emotional support and comfort.
Clearly, this doesn’t take the place of contact between humans. But when making human connections is a challenge, it can provide some comfort and support. Pets can also help you discover opportunities to connect with other people. Bringing your dog to the dog park, for example, can give you a chance to be around other people, even if you don’t necessarily initiate a conversation or make a new friend.
Pets can be ideal helpers
Service dogs, as an example, utilize specialized training to help their humans get around the world more safely. People with hearing loss will often fail to hear essential sounds around them and service animals are specifically trained to listen for those sounds and to provide guidance to their human.
Some of the things a service dog for those with hearing loss is trained to do include the following:
- Notifying their human when the smoke alarm goes off.
- Detecting a knock at the door or a ringing doorbell.
- Service dogs can even be trained to recognize their human’s name, and when someone is talking to that human. This can help people who have hearing loss better engage in communication.
- Detecting hazardous sounds like approaching traffic.
- Observing (and alerting their human) to day-to-day sounds like tea kettles, alarm clocks, or the phone ringing.
Detecting these sounds and alerting their human to them is something these animals are especially trained to do. But other non-service animals can also be helpful to someone with hearing loss. Even a non-trained dog can start barking when the doorbell rings. Cats and other animals will also often react to abrupt or unfamiliar sounds which their owner will recognize if they are tuned in to their pet.
A symbiotic relationship
Pets can add many benefits to your life without you even recognizing it. Adding some structure to daily life is one of those benefits. They must get fed, walked, and given affection on a regular basis, for instance. This structure can be an important source of comfort. It’s one reason why many types of animal-assisted therapy types exist.
But it’s important to be thoughtful if you’re thinking about getting a pet or a service animal. You will need to be able to take proper care of the animal you choose and you will want one that will meet your requirements.
It’s also essential to mention that service animals can’t replace a pair of hearing aids, both in terms of the long-term benefits and in terms of their capabilities. However, pets can be a major part of your life and provide a trusty companion. For individuals with a hearing loss, they can be an invaluable, and unique, part of their life.
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