The value of peer support

Support advisor Claire explains how our Hearing Support Sessions work offering peer support.

I met Jane in a Hearing Support Session. For anyone who may not know, our charity offers Hearing
Support Sessions with people by video call or in our Hearing Hub, which is onsite at our southern training
centre in Buckinghamshire.

During these sessions, we discuss the challenges a person is encountering due to their hearing loss, and create a safe space where we can provide empathy, guidance, and recommendations for how they might move forward. We so often find that the support we can offer – and how we offer it – fills in the gaps
between statutory services, and what other charities can provide. This certainly turned out to be the case for Jane.

Sudden hearing loss

Like many people who contact our Helpdesk, one morning Jane woke up with a sudden change in her hearing. We know from experience that when someone has a sudden hearing loss, they should go immediately to A&E.

In some situations, with the right treatment, their hearing may be saved. Sadly, when Jane reached out to her GP, she was diagnosed with an infection and put on a course of antibiotics.

“We so often find the support we offer fills in the gaps between what statutory services and other charities can do.”

Claire, support advisor

She felt something wasn’t quite right and pushed for a follow-up assessment. The GP told her she may have a condition called glue ear and after another treatment pathway, she should return to them in three months for reassessment.

Jane did some research and asked for a referral to an audiologist. It was here she learned that due to the
time that had elapsed, she now had permanent hearing loss.

The audiologist explained to Jane that she will never know if visiting A&E and starting a course of steroids would have saved her hearing, but she knows that she wasn’t given a chance. She now has to live her life with hearing loss.

Finding the right peer support

An internet search found the Hearing Link Services website and Jane got in touch. She was struggling to come to terms with her hearing loss and to know what to do next. We recommended a Hearing Support Session and this led Jane to me.

Like Jane, I personally faced similar issues at the beginning of my hearing loss journey. No one listened to me and I had to fight to be heard. It’s a terribly lonely, frustrating, and even scary place to be.

After listening to Jane, I let her know she was not alone. We – our staff and peer support volunteers – are here to help anyone through their hearing loss journey. I chose to share aspects of my story that she could relate to, as well as reassuring her that hope and perseverance will lead her to a more positive place.

We discussed several things she should consider doing immediately to help get used to hearing aids, and
to address some of the immediate challenges she faced.

Things that helped

We downloaded a speech to text app and I taught her the features – which she found an amazing help. We also discussed coping strategies for her crippling tinnitus and how sound therapy works. We plotted out some milestones in her personal and work life.

She will attend our Helpful Hour webinar on how to get the most from audiology appointments, and I’ve sent her links to our range of self-help videos. She may consider a LinkUp support group for when she is further along in her journey.

There are lots of practical things we’ve done to help, but above all else, by being able to connect with our Hearing Link Services and share her worries, Jane felt like she was understood. She said she felt there was nowhere else to turn in her time of need.

We will continue to connect with Jane monthly so we can respond to her needs during this challenging time as she learns to live well with hearing loss.

If you are struggling with hearing loss and not sure what steps to take next – get in touch! Fill out our webform at hearinglink.org/ask

What is a Hearing Support Session?

Hearing Support Sessions are delivered by both our knowledgeable staff and peer support volunteers. When someone contacts us for support, we meet with them online or onsite within our Hearing Hub to have a conversation about their hearing loss. We discuss the challenges they face, how hearing loss is impacting on their family and working life, and what the emotional impact of their hearing loss is. We then work with them to find a service or services that can support them. Visit our webpage for more information.

This story features in the latest issue of our feature magazine inTouch. You can read the full issue here and also subscribe to future copies of the magazine