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Mom refuses to get a hearing aid… And I already know her response will be”WHAT?” to every question asked …I find myself getting so angry and the negative energy begins with having to repeat myself at least four times literally screaming….

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And then she gets mad because “everyone is yelling at her.” Yup, been there.
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Reply to Goddatter
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The best part was when mom would holler, why are you screaming at me?

There is no good answer because hearing aids are their own punishment and will cause you more aggravation than screaming. Get a dry erase board and write everything out. Its the easiest of all the bad choices.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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My MIL has long refused hearing aids. And I’ve long refused to raise my voice in conversation with her. She misses out on a lot, her loss for her refusal. Anything she really needs to hear, I write and show her. Don’t scream, tempting as it is, just write and limit your exposure
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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So, I found out there are voice amplifiers you can talk into to increase the volume without having to yell, it might save your sanity.
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Reply to cwillie
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LisaLA Jan 1, 2026
I was looking into those. Can you recommend a specific one?
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Hearing loss isolates. Also it makes a person more likely to develop dementia. Others will advise that hearing aids are more trouble than they are worth, but I don't think so. My husband is in late-stage dementia and has no problem with wearing them. They are very lightweight, have a stand on which they recharge every night, and have a tiny plastic wire that has a tiny plastic dome on it. The little dome rests inside the ear canal. They are programmed from a smartphone.

He had to go without them for a few months. We got replacements, and his hearing, attention, cooperation, social skills are wonderful now. In his memory care unit, he participates more. Everything has changed for the better since he again has hearing aids. Expensive, and we got them at Costco.

The biggest problems we've had with the hearing aids is that they can get misplaced, and he has tried to eat them. He hasn't complained about the flavor, though.
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Reply to Fawnby
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JoAnn29 Jul 30, 2025
My husband just got a new pair that are bluetooth compatable but, my Samsung, fairly new, is not compatible.
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Has she been to an audiologist recently? She could have wax buildup making things worse. Also, if she hasn’t had hearing aides before, or it has been a long time since she tried them, she might be surprised at how much better they are. My mom had in-ear hearing aides (the ones made with a mold to put inside your ears) for as long as I can remember. They were old and apparently not that good because when I took her to my audiologist and she tried the new ones on, the ones that sit behind your ear with a little wire to a tiny rubber cone that goes inside your ear, she was like one of those baby-hears-mother’s-voice-for-first-time videos: eyes wide looking around saying, “I can HEAR you!” Needless to say, it improved our communication tremendously and she adapted to using a charger easily. It’s worth a try.
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Reply to ShirleyDot
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I would not talk to her.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Have you tried using a White board or a pad of paper for your questions?
I know it sounds cumbersome to do this but she might (or not) get the hint that she is not hearing you correctly and in order to communicate this is what you have to do.
Also try this...I know it is frustrating but the more angry you get and screaming raises the pitch of your voice.
So try:
lowering the pitch of your voice.
Talk a bit slower and enunciate each word.
Stand in front of her so she can see your face. Many people lip read without even realizing they are doing so. And many language cues are gotten from your facial expressions.
And bring your face level with her face. So if she is sitting you would sit and directly face her.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Figure out what communication aid would help you have conversations with your mother. It's not going to improve. So it is up to you to figure out what would help so you don't get so frustrated.

My mother wore hearing aids for most of her adult life. She was clinically deaf and the hearing aids managed to salvage what little hearing she had left. Communication was really hard. I hated when we'd have a family dinner and someone said something funny and she would ask what was so funny. It is not possible to communicate why something was funny. She missed a lot of nuance in groups.

Her deafness became more of an issue at the end of her life. I finally couldn't stand shouting anymore, especially in the nursing home where everyone can hear your business. I found using an iPad was very helpful when there was something I really needed her to know.
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Reply to Hothouseflower
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YES, it is annoying and exhausting - I can relate.

With my mom's dementia, when she could no longer tolerate wearing hearing aids, I tried this device called a "Pocket Talker", in which the hard-of-hearing person wears headphones and a box with a microphone. It worked BUT because of her dementia, she couldn't understand why she had headphones on her head. She was constantly asking about them and removing them. I gave up on that device. It might work in some situations, but not mine.

Now, my recommendation would be for you to use a "voice amplifier". That way, you don't have to shout, and there's nothing your mother has to wear, fiddle with, or complain about.

Also, before you speak:
1. make sure you have her attention
2. look directly at her
3. speak slowly and enunciate your words clearly
4. use fewer words in your message - sometimes people with hearing difficulties can't mentally process a lot of words at once.
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Reply to Dogwood63
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