3 ways people with hearing loss can prepare for an emergency

Spring’s arrival heralds many positive things: warmer temperatures, the start of baseball season and a lighter wardrobe. On the downside, however, spring also brings with it more severe weather, including powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes. Mother Nature’s wrath can strike at any time. But so do emergencies, which can be fraught with obstacles for people with hearing loss.

For example, loud and chaotic situations make communication difficult if not sometimes impossible. That’s one reason why “emergency preparedness is very, very important” for people with hearing loss, said K.K. Gross, who runs the clinical operations for Shea Hearing Aid Center in Memphis and Nashville.

“In an emergency, there is no quiet,” she explained. “Everyone’s frantic. There is so much activity that it can be sensory overload.

“For a person with even a moderate hearing loss — and certainly a severe or profound hearing loss — trying to process speech with heightened anxiety can feel like watching a movie without being a part of it, because they aren’t processing it,” she added. “They just hear noise.”

Thankfully, there are some easy steps people with hearing loss can take in advance to mitigate an emergency’s impact.

Put together an emergency preparedness kit

One of the easiest ways to be emergency-ready is to put together a preparedness kit in a waterproof bag and store it in an easy-to-find place. These kits should contain extra hearing aid or cochlear implant batteries; backup hearing aids or chargers (if applicable); and a pen and paper, which can be used to share important information during a crisis.

Gross also recommends these bags contain pre-printed index cards that state a person has hearing loss, along with information about preferred methods of communication, medications being taken or other health issues.

“[It’s] having a way to communicate, because if someone is asking you questions, you may not be able to understand to answer appropriately,” she said.

People should also include contact information for their hearing health-care provider in these kits, Gross added, “so that if their hearing aids are lost or destroyed, or someone needs to know how to help them, they know who to call.”

Equip your home with emergency-detecting assistive technology devices

In response to demand, companies have developed an abundance of assistive technologies and emergency-detecting devices geared for those with hearing loss. These adaptations can be as simple as decals on windows that alert first responders to the fact someone with hearing loss lives there.

However, assistive technology also includes smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors that utilize flashing lights, extra-loud sounds or telephones connected to an alarm that will vibrate and shake someone’s mattress.

Gross also suggests buying an emergency weather radio, which can alert users to dangerous storms with a flashing light, loud siren or mattress vibrator. Most of these items are available online. However, for the budget-conscious — or those looking to try a device before buying — many states have assistive technology exchanges which function like an online garage sale.

Let people know in advance you might need some extra help in an emergency

Asking for help from other people isn’t always the easiest thing to do. However, recognizing that you may need an extra hand in an emergency — and acknowledging this fact well before a crisis arises — is also a crucial step.

According to Gross, reaching out to the community is key.

“It’s important to have people in your network who know your situation, so in case of emergency, you’ve got people who are checking on you,” she said.

Some regions of the country also offer what’s called Smart911. This free opt-in service allows people to share important personal data — for example, medical information or unique home characteristics — that is then stored in a national database. Having these facts on file can be particularly helpful both for people with hearing loss and first responders.

“There are visual cues to every other disability with the exception of hearing loss,” Gross said. “That is what makes it so difficult for first responders to understand what is happening.”

Stay ready for emergencies by starting today

Nobody plans for an emergency, of course. But if the unthinkable happens, people with hearing loss are their own best advocates.

“It is critical that the person with the hearing loss alert the speaker, whether it be a first responder or somebody from down the street, ‘I have hearing loss, and I need you to face me and speak slowly and distinctly,’” Gross said.

“When people are in a heightened sense of emergency, they always tend to speak faster. And they’re multitasking, and they may not be looking at the person who’s trying to listen.”

Emergencies are hectic, stressful and frightening for everyone involved. But with some careful planning and advance communication, you’ll be able to stay safe and emerge unscathed.

If you need further guidance about important factors to consider with hearing loss, the licensed hearing professionals at Shea Hearing Aid Center in Memphis and Nashville can offer individualized tips and support.