Husband won't address his hearing problem

DEAR AMY: I remarried about five years ago; my husband is wonderful. The only problem is that his hearing seems to get worse by the day and he refuses to acknowledge it or to do anything about it. (He is 66 and I am 64.) If he can't hear you, it's because you are mumbling. The TV is loud because he likes it loud. His car radio is loud because classic rock must be played that way. According to him, his kids all mumble. If we watch a movie or TV show and he doesn't hear something, it is either because they are mumbling or he "wasn't really paying attention." Amy, I love this guy, but he won't get his hearing checked. He says a hearing aid will make him "look old." I'm increasingly afraid he wouldn't be able to hear me if I got hurt and called out for him. I'm getting tired of shouting, repeating myself and begging him to get his hearing checked. The hardest part is the isolation for him at family and social events when he clearly cannot follow conversations among the group. How do I get him to help himself and get his hearing checked?--Screaming Meanie

DEAR MEANIE: If your husband seems to be losing his hearing rapidly, this could indicate a serious medical problem.

The longer he goes without having his hearing loss corrected, the more challenging it will be to recover his hearing, even with an aid. This is a health, social and safety issue for your husband (and for you).

Instead of begging him, you should challenge him: Ask him to write down each time he says "what?" or thinks someone is mumbling over the course of a week.

The self-collected data should demonstrate to him how much of his life he is losing due to a correctable problem.

Hearing aids are no longer the bulky implements we remember from our youth. He should be brave enough to give this a try.