Many people have strong recollections of a cherished family pet. Cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and a wide variety of other animals can enhance our lives, and even, in some cases, become close companions. Quality of life and symptom management for individuals who have hearing loss can also be improved by having a pet buddy.
Sometimes, pets are specifically trained to supply special benefits. Service animals for individuals with hearing loss can be trained to give specific types of support or even complete particular jobs. But that’s not always the case. Companionship and comfort can come from animals with no special training. That’s why, in many instances, people with hearing loss and their animal companions develop a special and unique connection.
Is owning a pet good for mental health?
Untreated hearing loss can be exceptionally isolating, making it hard to hear and understand people around you. This break in communication can cause the individual with hearing loss to isolate themselves.
So, is having a pet worthwhile? It sure is! There are lots of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. And while clear communication is important with animals, it doesn’t rely on verbal language. People with hearing loss can effectively bond with a wide variety of pets (this is usually dependent on personal preferences), and these pets can give comfort and emotional reinforcement during what might be a very lonesome time.
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. Also, pets can give you more opportunities to connect with other humans. 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 provide aid
Service dogs, for example, use specialized training to help their humans get around the world more safely. People with hearing loss will often fail to hear important sounds around them and service animals are specifically trained to listen for those sounds and to provide guidance to their human.
Here are some things that a service dog can do for someone with hearing loss:
- Detecting a knock at the door or a doorbell ringing.
- Noticing (and alerting their human) to everyday sounds like tea kettles, alarm clocks, or the phone ringing.
- Detecting dangerous sounds like oncoming traffic.
- Service dogs can even be trained to recognize their human’s name, and when someone is talking to that human. This can help those who have hearing loss better engage in communication.
- Letting their human know that the smoke detector is sounding.
Service animals are specially trained to notice these sounds and convey them to their human. But other non-service animals can also be useful to someone with hearing loss. Even a dog without any training will often start barking when somebody rings the doorbell or knocks on the door. Similarly, cats or other animals can be very sensitive to abrupt noises or changes, and people who are aware and dialed in with their pets may be able to recognize these things, as well.
A symbiotic relationship
Many of the benefits that a pet can bring to your life may not even be recognized. They will instantly add a degree of structure to your day-to-day life. They must get fed, walked, and given affection on a regular basis, for example. A structured life like this can be really comforting. Many different types of animal-assisted therapies exist because of this.
But it’s essential to be thoughtful if you’re considering a pet or a service animal. You will need to be able to take proper care of the animal you select and you will want one that will meet your requirements.
It’s also important 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 an important part of your life and provide a trusty companion. For individuals with a hearing impairment, they can be an invaluable, and unique, part of their life.
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