Fond memories of a cherished pet is a common experience for many individuals. Our lives can be enriched by many types of animals including; dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and birds. In many instances, they are our close companions. For people who have hearing loss, pets can provide added benefits that improve symptom management and quality of life.
Sometimes, pets are specifically trained to supply special benefits. Service animals for people with hearing loss can be trained to provide specific forms of support or even perform particular jobs. Sometimes, though, that isn’t the case. Friendship and comfort can come from animals with no special training. Special friendships between animals and individuals who have hearing loss are often formed as a result.
Can owning a pet give you improved mental health?
Neglected hearing loss can be extremely isolating, making it hard to hear and understand those around you. Communication becomes fraught and, because of this, you may spend less time socializing with others.
So, is having a pet worthwhile? Definitely! There are a number of non-verbal ways that a companion animal can communicate. And while clear communication is essential with animals, it doesn’t depend on verbal language. When someone has hearing loss, it can be a really lonely time, and being able to connect with an animal friend can offer emotional support and comfort.
Clearly, this doesn’t take the place of contact between humans. But when making human relationships is difficult, it can offer some comfort and support. Also, pets can give you more opportunities to connect with other humans. Taking your dog to the dog park, for example, can give you a chance to be around other people, even if you don’t necessarily initiate a conversation or make a new friend.
Pets can give aid
In the instance of a service dog for hearing impaired people, these animals are specially trained to help 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 guidance to their human.
Some of the things a service dog for people with hearing loss is trained to do include the following:
- Detecting a knock at the door or a ringing doorbell.
- Service dogs can even be trained to recognize their human’s name, and when someone is talking to that human. This can help people who have hearing loss better engage in communication.
- Letting their human know that the smoke alarm is sounding.
- Alerting their human to daily sounds like a phone ringing, alarm clock, or a whistling teapot.
- Detecting the sound of approaching traffic or other dangers.
Service animals are specifically trained to notice these sounds and convey them to their human. But other non-service animals can also be helpful 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. Cats and other animals will also often react to abrupt or unknown sounds which their owner will recognize 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. They must get fed, walked, and given affection on a regular basis, for instance. A structured life like this can be really comforting. It’s one reason why many types of animal-assisted therapy types exist.
But if you’re contemplating getting a pet or service animal, it’s important to give it some thoughtful consideration. You will need to be able to properly care for the animal you choose and you will want one that will meet your needs.
It’s also essential to note that service animals can’t replace a pair of hearing aids, both in terms of the lasting benefits and in terms of their capabilities. Pets can, however, be wonderful companions and can improve your overall quality of life. For people with a hearing loss, they can be an invaluable, and unique, part of their life.
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