Many individuals have powerful memories of a cherished family pet. Our lives can be enriched by many types of animals including; dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and birds. In many cases, they are our close companions. For people with hearing loss, pets can provide further 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 individuals with hearing loss. Sometimes, though, that’s not the case. Even a common animal companion with no special training can provide comfort and friendship. Special bonds between animals and people who have hearing loss are frequently formed as a result.
Can owning a pet give you improved mental health?
Untreated hearing loss can be extremely isolating, making it hard to hear and understand those around you. This gap in communication can cause the individual with hearing loss to isolate themselves.
So, is having a pet good for individuals who have hearing loss? Definitely! There are a number of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. Clear communication with animals can be achieved without needing to hear verbal language. People with hearing loss can effectively bond with all kinds of pets (this is typically dependent on personal preferences), and these pets can offer comfort and emotional reinforcement during what might be a very lonesome time.
Obviously, this doesn’t take the place of contact between humans. But when making human relationships is difficult, it can provide some comfort and support. Additionally, pets can give you more chances to make connections with other people. Bringing your dog to the dog park, for instance, can give you a chance to be around other people, even if you don’t necessarily strike up a conversation or make a new friend.
Pets can give aid
In the instance of a service dog for hearing impaired individuals, these animals are specially trained to assist their human companions in moving around and functioning in the world. People with hearing loss will frequently fail to hear essential sounds around them and service animals are specifically trained to listen for those sounds and to provide assistance to their human.
Some of the things a service dog for those who have hearing loss is trained to do include the following:
- 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 engage in communication.
- Detecting a knock at the door or a doorbell ringing.
- Letting their human know that the smoke alarm is sounding.
- Detecting the sound of oncoming traffic or other hazards.
- Alerting their human to everyday sounds including a ringing phone, alarm clock, or a whistling teapot.
Service animals are specifically trained to notice these sounds and communicate them to their human. But service animals aren’t the only way one might benefit from having an animal around. Even a non-trained dog can bark when the doorbell rings. Cats and other animals will also often react to abrupt or unknown sounds which their owner will pick up on if they are tuned in to their pet.
A symbiotic relationship
Pets can add many benefits to your life without you even realizing it. They will immediately add a degree of structure to your daily life. They must get fed, walked, and given love on a regular basis, for instance. This structure can be an essential source of comfort. Many different types of animal-assisted therapies exist because of this.
But it’s essential to be thoughtful if you’re thinking about getting a pet or a service animal. You will need to be able to properly care for the animal you select and you will want one that will meet your needs.
While a service animal can be a great help, they aren’t capable of providing the same level of lasting benefits or the same capabilities as a hearing aid. Pets can, however, be great companions and can enhance your overall quality of life. For individuals with a hearing loss, they can be an invaluable, and unique, part of their life.
Call us today for an appointment and begin moving toward better hearing!