DEAR ABBY: My handsome, intelligent, physically fit husband looks much younger than his age. But he is vain and won't get hearing aids. Because he can't hear, he stands looking at people with a faraway expression on his face that makes him appear like he has dementia. It takes him a while to process the spoken word, and then sometimes he gets it wrong. He has gotten angry with me because he couldn't understand something I was saying.
Any tips for me and others on how to deal with this? I'm ready to quit trying to have a conversation with him. He could easily afford to buy hearing aids. -- END OF MY ROPE IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR END: What's going on is not only not good for your relationship with your husband, but also extremely isolating for him. I do have a suggestion for you: Discuss your concerns with your family physician. Perhaps if the doctor suggests he have his hearing checked by an audiologist, your husband will be less likely to tune the message out. Advances in hearing aids are being made all the time, and some of them fit into the ear canal and are hard to detect.