I'm going to put a different spin on people who refused to go for hearing tests, wear hearing aids, etc. etc.

And yes, I know that 85 is the Golden Years thing, and we should appreciate them actually being still with us. And I most certainly would appreciate them being with us, but if my father were still alive and he was 85 and he refused to get a hearing test, and if we all had to scream and shout to get heard, and most especially if we had to jack up the tv to accomodate HIM, well, I would not be a happy camper, this much I will tell you.

Vanity is one thing, but complete stubbornness is quite another thing. The people who are taking care of older people are doing them quite a service and the least that person can do is make it a bit easier, don't you think??'

My grandmother, when she was 75 had to be fitted for a hearing aid. This was over 40 years ago, but the thing worked but she had to learn to adjust the darn thing. It would ring and we would jump when it would start whistling. She once took it off and said "that's it, this is too hard".

And because she could not hear me, we could not communicate. I simply said "Grandma, if you want to have a conversation with me, put that thing back on". She put it back on. My grandmother was the kindest person I knew. Took me on vacations during much of my childhood. So I knew I didn't just want to stop communicating with her. I just didn't enable her. I was in my 20's and I actually knew not to do this. I think this is amazing.

So she learned how to use it, and the rest is history. She heard me until she passed away. Think of all we would have missed!!

I think (and I'm not trying to be mean here, just stating a fact), I think people are being selfish when they refuse to go for hearing tests because of vanity. If there's a way to correct hard of hearing or a hearing loss, and they won't wear it because they don't want to look old, well I would remind them that the newer models can be concealed in eyeglasses, inside the ear, etc.

Now if it's a matter of money, well, that's a completely different story. But if one can afford it, or the insurance will pick it up, but the hard of hearing person WON'T cooperate, well then how do you think the rest of the family is going go feel after awhile?? They will be very frustrated, believe me.

Alan started losing his hearing over 15 years ago. He went for hearing tests and they determined he had a 20% hearing loss. We never found out why (and yesterday I read about the only woman in the world who got the first diagnosis of auditory neuropathy, and she was fitted for a cochlear implant)

Now I'm not saying Alan has neuropathy in his ears. The doctors have no idea why he has this loss. The only thing his hearing loss has affected was our inability to watch tv together.

He jacked up the television so loud, I almost went crazy one day. And we have neighbors. His ear, nose and throat doctor told him. "Alan, use headphones".

So we got him the wireless headphones. Well, my house was quiet. What a relief.

But I was not able to watch ANY TV SHOW in the living room with my husband. Not for 15 years. I always had to watch it in my room because he had to wear the headphones.

Well, I am like a McGuyver. I said to myself a few months ago. "This is 2008, there must be a way to split the sound".

I went to Radio Shack, I told them what I wanted to achieve, the guy marched me over to the rack with (I have no idea what the actual name of this little thing is), but it splits the output from the headphone jack in my tv.

I bought the thing for $5. Alan had been wearing regular headphones instead of the wireless ones because they always broke, and the frequency would make static, (he hated them), so I had gotten him a good pair of Koss (with inline volume control).

I got myself a pair of inline volume control headphones.

I put the splitter in the tv. I connected the two headphones.

We sat on the couch.

Just imagine a woman who has not watched a tv show with her husband, now able to watch AMERICAN IDOL, DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS, etc.?

We can watch our favorite shows and play along, sing along. I can adjust the volume on MY headphones, and he can do the same.

He looked at me and said "wow, this is great".

He can hear me regularly in a restaurant or if we are walking. No problem. The doctor said "you are not ready for any hearing aides".

He just needs to wear headphones on the tv and when he watches anything on the computer.

So my house is quiet, my neighbors don't complain, etc.

But sometimes when I think he's asleep on the couch, and I hear him singing, (actually I thought he was moaning), he was watching an old tape of "Do You Know the Lyrics". And he was singing along.

He sounded like a dead horse.

I never laughed so hard.

But it really makes life easier, when a person acknowledges that they have problem, and they face it. People should not enable people and give in to them. Whenever possible, do whatever you have to do to get these people tested and fitted with devices.

Everybody in that house will be better off for it.

If Alan had refused to wear headphones and my tv was blasting, well I would have gone out of my mind.

And Alan would have been bonged on his head.

I know me, I'm an Italian housewife. We don't take any nonsense!!!

lol