CI users and their families

Hi everyone! Today’s post it’s about CI users and their families.

Having a cochlear implant is a life changing experience that affects your wife/husband, family and friends.  And it’s an adapting process for all…

The first days after the CI activation are the most difficult ones because you and your family have high expectations and that can put unnecessary pressure on you; to avoid that get closer to your family asking them to be part of your progress and to learn how they can best help you. Also, explain what you are hearing and how do you feel with that…

Make your family and friends become your allies; if they experience more of what you are experiencing, they will learn what to expect from a CI.

How to help a deaf person with CI

1.    Make sure that they are paying attention before trying to talk to them.

2.    If you are across the room go over to them and touch them in the shoulder, so you can have their attention.

3.    Do not shout at them. Sometimes when people shout at us the words sounds distorted.

4.    Never open a new conversation when another one is going on, you can confuse them.

People don’t realize how difficult can be to hear in social situations for a CI user and do not put pressure on the person concerned to attend if they really don't want to. It’s very 

uncomfortable for us.

While we are adapting to the CI and learning to hear/ to hear again those things I mentioned before are the key for a successful recovery.