“Being part of the Hard of Hearing Group has not only made me happier, but also my family. They see the positive change in me…
I’m 88 years old and have trouble with both my sight and hearing. Wendy from Halton Sensory Service/Deafness Resource Centre invited me to join the Hard of Hearing Support Group. I told them how I don’t go out much anymore because I can’t lip-read due to my sight loss. It makes me feel really isolated and embarrassed when I’m with others, and I can’t join in on the conversations.
I said, “I can be in a room full of people but feel lonelier than ever.”
I used to love chatting with people over a cup of tea, but now the only ones I see are my family, and I don’t want to bother them because they have work and family to take care of.
A friend from the Hard of Hearing group told me about their group, but I was worried that it would be just like before. They assured me that everyone in the group is in a similar situation and that they are very considerate, making sure everyone can be part of the conversation and hear what’s going on. They said they do this by not talking all at once, so each person can hear what’s being said. They also mentioned they have a loop system with an extra microphone so that no matter where we sit, we can hear the conversation clearly.
I decided to give it a try and attended the first meeting they had after COVID. Since then, I’ve been going to every meeting. It’s the only place I feel comfortable socialising now, and I always look forward to going there. Everyone is so lovely, and it’s nice to have conversations with people who truly understand how isolating hearing loss can be.
Being part of the group has not only made me happier but also my family. They see the positive change in me now that I have somewhere to socialise. They were really worried about how isolated I was becoming”.