Once your spouse or parent has a new hearing aid it can often be difficult to get them to actually wear it, and keep wearing it. They may start off wearing a new hearing aid, or hearing aids, then forget to wear it or even lose it. Motivating them to wear their hearing aid everyday can be helped by a few simple positive communication strategies. Here are some suggestions. Getting to Wow Enjoying life to the fullest should entail the capacity to experience ‘Wow’. Wow is when you feel wonder or awe. Sound awesome? You might experience Wow on special occasions such as the birth of a child, falling in love or travelling to wonderful new places. It’s even better when you can experience Wow in your everyday life. Losing your hearing may prevent your spouse or parents from getting to Wow. Don’t let that happen. If they are not able to synchronise all their senses due to hearing loss then they are missing out. It may make their life boring, empty or even meaningless. Remind your spouse or parent of a special moment in their life, a wow moment. Didn’t they have good hearing then? Remind them that if they wear, and keep wearing, their new hearing aid they will have more wow experiences from now on. Gently remind them that if they don’t use hearing aids they will miss out on the wows in their life. What a loss that will be! Tell them they look great Flattering someone is often the best way to get them to do what you want. If your spouse or parent has just bought a new hearing aid, or hearing aids, don’t forget to compliment them on how good they look wearing it. And keep complimenting them. Don’t forget to remind them they can now hear you better when you are complimenting them! Keep going. Hearing aids improve quality of life Many people live in denial. Your spouse or parent may find excuses for not wearing their hearing aid; it keeps falling out, I forgot to take it with me. They may be reluctant to accept the effects of ageing. No one really likes to lose their abilities. It is a fact of life. So explain to your spouse or parent that wearing a hearing aid, or hearing aids, will improve their quality of life. Communicating with your spouse or parents in positive ways will help motivate them to wear and keep wearing their new hearing aid. Then you can get on and enjoy life to the maximum as a family together.