Communication – Ear to Hear https://www.eartohearonline.com Hearing Aid Centers Sun, 02 Apr 2023 19:43:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.6 Tips for Communicating with Someone with Hearing Loss https://www.eartohearonline.com/tips-for-communicating-with-hearing-loss/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tips-for-communicating-with-hearing-loss https://www.eartohearonline.com/tips-for-communicating-with-hearing-loss/#respond Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:54:27 +0000 https://www.eartohearonline.com/?p=634

Hearing loss may affect many parts of our lives – especially communication. With untreated hearing loss, speech recognition can be challenging. You may have experienced a loved one asking you to repeat yourself or asking “What?” in the middle of a conversation. As a result, social settings and conversations could become frustrating for everyone involved.
 
If you are a person with normal hearing, and you are communicating with someone who has a hearing loss, there are some things you can do on your end to make the conversation go more smoothly. Here are some tips for communicating with people who have a hearing loss.

18 Tips for Communicating with People with Hearing Loss

Studies have found that people communicate better when the person with hearing loss has disclosed their condition and provide you with tips on how to accommodate their hearing abilities. However, not everyone feels comfortable with disclosing this information, nor do they necessarily know what can make the conversation easier for either party.
 
If you believe/know the person with whom you are communicating has a hearing loss, here are a few things you can do to help the conversation along, according to researchers at the University of California-San Francisco:

  1. Face the hearing-impaired person directly, on the same level and in good light whenever possible. Position yourself so that the light is shining on the speaker’s face, not in the eyes of the listener.
  2. Do not talk from another room. Not being able to see each other when talking is a common reason people have difficulty understanding what is said.
  3. Speak clearly, slowly, distinctly, but naturally, without shouting or exaggerating mouth movements. Shouting distorts the sound of speech and may make speech reading more difficult.
  4. Say the person’s name before beginning a conversation. This gives the listener a chance to focus attention and reduces the chance of missing words at the beginning of the conversation.
  5. Avoid talking too rapidly or using sentences that are too complex. Slow down a little, pause between sentences or phrases, and wait to make sure you have been understood before going on.
  6. Keep your hands away from your face while talking. If you are eating, chewing, smoking, etc. while talking, your speech will be more difficult to understand. Beards and mustaches can also interfere with the ability of the hearing impaired to speech read.
  7. If the hearing-impaired listener hears better in one ear than the other, try to make a point of remembering which ear is better so that you will know where to position yourself.
  8. Be aware of possible distortion of sounds for the hearing-impaired person. They may hear your voice, but still may have difficulty understanding some words.
  9. Most hearing-impaired people have greater difficulty understanding speech when there is background noise. Try to minimize extraneous noise when talking.
  10. Some people with hearing loss are very sensitive to loud sounds. This reduced tolerance for loud sounds is not uncommon. Avoid situations where there will be loud sounds when possible.
  11. If the hearing-impaired person has difficulty understanding a particular phrase or word, try to find a different way of saying the same thing, rather than repeating the original words over and over.
  12. Acquaint the listener with the general topic of the conversation. Avoid sudden changes of topic. If the subject is changed, tell the hearing-impaired person what you are talking about now. In a group setting, repeat questions or key facts before continuing with the discussion.
  13. If you are giving specific information — such as time, place or phone numbers — to someone who is hearing impaired, have them repeat the specifics back to you. Many numbers and words sound alike.
  14. Whenever possible, provide pertinent information in writing, such as directions, schedules, work assignments, etc.
  15. Recognize that everyone, especially the hard-of-hearing, has a harder time hearing and understanding when ill or tired.
  16. Pay attention to the listener. A puzzled look may indicate misunderstanding. Tactfully ask the hearing-impaired person if they understood you, or ask leading questions so you know your message got across.
  17. Take turns speaking and avoid interrupting other speakers.
  18. Enroll in aural rehabilitation classes with your hearing-impaired spouse or friend.

Addressing Hearing Loss

If your loved one has a hearing loss and has not yet sought treatment, encourage them to do so. Beyond communication, hearing loss affects many different areas of our lives, from our cognitive abilities to our safety and well-being.

Treating hearing loss begins with a simple hearing test. Ear to Hear provides free hearing tests and otoscopic exams, as well as hearing aid fittings. To schedule an appointment, contact us today.

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