Fond memories of a beloved pet is a common experience for many people. Cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and a wide array of other animals can enhance our lives, and even, in some cases, become close companions. For people who have hearing loss, pets can provide additional benefits that improve symptom management and quality of life.
Sometimes, pets are specifically trained to supply special benefits. Service animals for those with hearing loss can be trained to give specific types of support or even complete special tasks. Sometimes, though, that’s not the situation. Companionship and comfort can come from animals with no special training. Special friendships between animals and people who have hearing loss are often formed as a result.
Is owning a pet good for mental health?
Untreated hearing loss can be extremely isolating, making it hard to hear and understand people around you. Communication becomes fraught and, as a result, you may spend less time socializing with other people.
So, is having a pet worthwhile? It sure is! There are lots of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. Clear communication with animals is possible without the need to hear verbal language. When someone 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.
This doesn’t replace human-to-human social connection, of course. But it can provide some consolation and support 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 people or making new friends, doing things like taking your dog for a walk in the park can give you the chance to be around others.
Pets can give aid
In the instance of a service dog for hearing impaired people, these animals are specially trained to assist their human companions in moving around and functioning in the world. Individuals with hearing loss will frequently fail to hear essential sounds around them and service animals are specifically trained to pay attention to those sounds and to provide direction to their human.
Here are some things that a service dog can do for someone with hearing loss:
- Alerting their human to everyday sounds like a ringing phone, alarm clock, or a screeching teapot.
- Detecting hazardous sounds like oncoming traffic.
- Hearing the doorbell ring or a knock on the door.
- Service dogs can even be trained to recognize their human’s name, and when that human is being spoken to. This can help those with hearing loss better take part in communication.
- Letting their human know that the smoke detector is sounding.
Service animals are specifically trained to detect these sounds and communicate them to their human. But service animals are not the only way one might benefit from having an animal around. Even a dog without any training will often start barking when someone 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 tuned in to their pet.
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 need to be walked, fed, and loved several times every day. A structured life like this can be very comforting. Lots of different kinds of animal-assisted therapies exist because of this.
But if you’re thinking about getting a pet or service animal, it’s essential to give it some thoughtful consideration. You want to choose an animal that’s going to meet your requirements and that you will be able to adequately take care of.
While a service animal can be a big help, they aren’t able to provide the same degree of long-term benefits or the same capabilities as a hearing aid. However, pets can be a vital part of your life and provide a trusty companion. They can be a unique and important part of their life.
Take the first step toward better hearing. Give us a call today!