Many individuals have powerful recollections 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 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 give specific types of assistance or even perform particular jobs. But that isn’t always the case. Even a common animal companion with no special training can provide comfort and friendship. That’s why, in many instances, individuals with hearing loss and their animal companions develop a special and unique bond.
Can owning a pet give you improved mental health?
Untreated hearing loss can be extremely isolating, making it difficult to hear and understand people around you. Communication becomes fraught and, as a result, you might spend less time socializing with other people.
So, is owning a pet helpful for individuals who have hearing loss? It sure is! A cat, dog, or other companionable animal can communicate in a wide variety of non-verbal ways. Clear communication with animals is possible without needing to hear verbal language. When someone has hearing loss, it can be a very lonely time, and being able to connect with an animal friend can provide emotional support and comfort.
This doesn’t replace human-to-human social connection, of course. But it can provide some consolation and assistance when making other connections can be challenging. Pets can also help you discover opportunities to connect with other people. Even if you aren’t necessarily talking with people or making new friends, doing things like taking your dog for a walk in the park can give you the opportunity to be around others.
Pets can be ideal assistants
In the case 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 direction to their human.
Some of the things a service dog for people with hearing loss is trained to do include the following:
- Detecting the sound of approaching traffic or other dangers.
- Service dogs can even be trained to distinguish their human’s name, and when someone is talking to that human. This can help those with hearing loss better take part in communication.
- Notifying their human when the smoke alarm is sounding.
- Hearing the doorbell ring or a knock on the door.
- Noticing (and alerting their human) to day-to-day sounds like tea kettles, alarm clocks, or the phone ringing.
Service animals are specially trained to notice these sounds and communicate them to their human. But service animals are not the only way one could benefit from having an animal around. Even a non-trained dog can bark when the doorbell rings. Cats and other animals will also usually react to sudden or unfamiliar sounds which their owner will recognize if they are tuned in to their pet.
A symbiotic relationship
Many of the benefits that a pet can bring to your life might not even be noticed. Adding some structure to daily life is one of those benefits. They need to be fed, walked, and given affection on a regular basis, for example. This structure can be an essential source of comfort. Many different kinds of animal-assisted therapies exist because of this.
But if you’re contemplating getting a pet or service animal, it’s essential to give it some thoughtful consideration. You want to pick an animal that’s going to meet your requirements and that you will be able to adequately take care of.
While a service animal can be a big help, they aren’t capable of providing the same level of long-term benefits or the same capabilities as a hearing aid. Pets can, however, be wonderful companions and can enhance your overall quality of life. They can be a unique and important part of their life.
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