The Impact of Hearing Loss on Family Members

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect the person struggling to hear — it quietly impacts everyone around them.

In the UK, 1 in 3 people now live with some degree of hearing loss. Yet many wait an average of 8 years before booking a hearing test — often at the urging of a partner, child, or friend who’s been affected by the communication struggles.

So how does hearing loss affect loved ones?

Here are just a few of the ways it can create stress or distance in the home:

• 🔁 Repeating themselves constantly — conversations start to feel like hard work

• 📺 TV volume becomes too loud for everyone else

• 🚗 Road trips and holidays become more stressful due to miscommunication

• 🧏 Partners feel ignored or dismissed — even when that’s not the case

• 🔊 Prolonged exposure to loud volume puts others at risk of noise-induced hearing problems

• 🧠 Increased emotional strain — frustration, loneliness, and even signs of depression in partners have been linked to living with someone who has untreated hearing loss

  
  

Over time, families may adjust or give up shared activities — things like watching TV together, chatting during meals, or attending social events as a group. These subtle losses chip away at connection and closeness.

Even children and grandchildren can feel the impact. They might stop trying to communicate when they don’t feel heard, or misinterpret hearing loss as disinterest.

The Family’s Role in Hearing Care

That’s why, when I carry out hearing assessments, I always encourage family members to come along.

Understanding what their loved one is going through helps them:

• Become part of the solution

• Avoid taking miscommunication personally

• Support the hearing journey in a more meaningful way

  
  

There’s even a term for this in audiology research: “third-party disability” — the idea that hearing loss affects communication partners too. And evidence shows that when families are involved in the hearing care process, people are more likely to accept help and benefit from it.

You’re Not Alone

If someone close to you has been struggling with their hearing, it’s okay to speak up. Hearing loss isn’t just an individual issue — it’s a shared one. And the sooner it’s addressed, the sooner your whole family can reconnect and communicate with ease again.

If you liked this post or have any questions - let me know in the comments

Family Involvement In hearing rehabilitation makes a big difference.