Guidance for families and caregivers

Why families and caregivers need guidance

When a person gets a hearing aid, the explanation is given to them. But the people who remind them to charge it, notice that they are again not answering the phone, and decide whether to ask for a check — are usually family members or the caregiver who lives with them. If they did not get the explanation, they act by guesswork. From our experience in guiding families and caregivers, a few simple things change a lot.

What is learned in the guidance

• Communication. Speak face to face, reduce noise, do not shout, and rephrase instead of repeating. Include the person in the conversation and do not talk over their head.
• The adaptation period. Why at first everything sounds loud or strange, why it is worth wearing the hearing aid gradually and regularly, and why not to give up after a few days.
• The daily routine. When to put it in and when to take it out, charging or changing the battery, cleaning according to the instructions, and storing it in the case.
• Warning signs. Whistling that does not stop, weak sound, a hearing aid that does not charge, or a person who suddenly stopped wearing it.
• Whom to contact and when. What to check yourself before calling, and when it is a question for a doctor. If a sudden hearing loss has appeared, see a doctor without delay.

When the resident lives at an institution

Family members of a resident at an institution visit, bring things, and sometimes they are the ones who decide about care of the hearing aid. It is worth them knowing who the contact person for hearing at the institution is, where the hearing aid and charger are kept in the room, and how to pass information to the staff. On the visit itself — sit facing your parent, in good light, and not in the noisy dining room. And if there is a decision to make, for example about treatment of the hearing aid, it is worth asking for a proper explanation and not deciding in a hurried conversation in the corridor.

Caregivers at home and in the community

A caregiver who lives with an older person is a key partner. Sometimes they do not speak Hebrew, so it is worth showing and not only explaining: how to insert the hearing aid, how to place it in the charger, and how to tell right from left. If needed, it can be arranged in advance that a family member who speaks the caregiver's language is present — see Multilingual communities.

The resident who does not want to

One of the most common questions from families is what to do with a parent who is not willing to be tested or to wear a hearing aid. There is no formula, but there are a few principles: do not turn it into an argument, talk about specific situations ("Friday dinners are hard for you") rather than "your hearing", and let them decide. Sometimes a group talk at the club or institution does what the family could not. More on this in our guide How to help a parent with hearing loss (in Hebrew).

Next steps

A family that wants to check their parent's hearing outside the institution can arrange a home hearing test nationwide, by appointment. And anyone who wants to go deeper into the technical side of caring for the hearing aid will find an explanation in the guide to maintenance and replacing parts.

Related pages

Hearing solutions for institutions and communities · Hearing awareness talks · Care settings and dementia · Multilingual communities · A hearing aid for an elderly parent

English version: 4 November 2026 · Written by the G-Sound editorial team. Original version updated 19.10.2026. The information is general; the format, service options and cost are set in advance for each institution.

More in English

InstitutionsNursing homes and assisted livingCustom earplugs for groupsHome hearing test for seniorsContact G-Sound