“Some think love can be measured by the amount of butterflies in their tummy. Others think love can be measured in bunches of flowers, or by using the words ‘for ever.’ But love can only truly be measured by actions. It can be a small thing, such as peeling an orange for a person you love because you know they don’t like doing it.”
— Marian Keyes
February is here, and love is in the air. As Valentine’s Day approaches, how are you and your sweetheart nurturing and strengthening your relationship? For those couples living with sensory loss, this question takes on new meaning now and throughout the year. It’s not just about flowers and candy or time spent together over a romantic dinner. It’s about staying connected even when the extra challenges of sensory loss test the relationship.
Sensory loss is more common than you may think, too.
Many of these numbers are only expected to grow in the coming years. So how do these losses affect our most important relationships?
Couples with sensory loss
Maintaining a strong relationship with your partner can be hard enough without a sensory loss. In a recent review of study data, researchers explored just what steps couples living with sensory loss took to maintain their relationship and what they would recommend to other couples in similar situations.
Using data from two small previous studies, the team pieced together answers to the question “What advice would you give to other couples who are living with sensory loss?” into several common themes. The studies included both those with dual sensory loss (deafblind) and those with hearing loss or who were visually impaired. Here’s what they found:
Perhaps the foundations of any strong relationship are similar with or without sensory loss. These findings, however, offer a deeper insight into the nuances of relationships shared by those couples living with sensory loss.
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