Blog

Hearing Loss Communication Tips

June 22nd, 2011
By: Jennifer Bentley, Au.D.

Think about the last time you were in a crowded room with kids running around making noise, music in the background, and people chatting. Did you find it hard to focus on what was really being said to you? Did you find you had to “work” to hear the conversation? Was it difficult blocking out the other noises that were either distracting or overpowering the voice of the person speaking to you?

Now imagine you have a hearing loss.

For those with even mild hearing loss, even a one-on-one conversation in a quite room can be difficult. Phone conversations, which do not allow us the benefit of some body language or unconscious lip reading, can also be challenging for someone with a hearing loss. For these individuals carrying on a conversation in a noisy environment requires them to "work" twice as hard as someone with normal hearing.

Now imagine the conversation you are trying to have includes important instructions, such as how to take medicine in advance of a test or how to avoid driving through a dangerous section of town.

What you say and a hearing-impaired individual’s interpretation of it could be a matter of life or death.

It is important for all of us to become sensitive to those who have hearing loss when we are communicating with them. Being proactive in modifying your communication will make it easier and more fulfilling for everyone involved. Remember, many people do not even realize they have a hearing loss (given the gradual progression of most hearing loss and our body’s ability to accommodate) and because many are embarrassed to admit the hearing loss, they continue to struggle to hear.

To enhance communication and make speaking with those who have hearing loss easier, here are some communication strategies for you to use. Whether you’re a family member, friend, or even a caregiver, communication allows us to be involved with someone’s life and allows them to be involved with ours.

• Face the person with hearing loss directly so he or she can see your lips. Even if the person is not trained in lip-reading, watching a speaker does help clarify words.
• Avoid sitting or standing with a bright light behind you. A bright light will put your face in a shadow and makes conscious or unconscious lip-reading difficult.
• Slow down your speech, making an effort to enunciate each syllable clearly while also emphasizing key words that are important to each sentence.
• Move your conversation to a quieter area, away from heat vents, noisy or humming appliances.
• If you are in a restaurant with someone who has hearing loss, ask for a table that is in a quiet area — avoiding seating near the hostess stand, kitchen, vents, or speakers.
• Avoid speaking to someone with hearing loss in wide-open rooms that have hard floors and hard furniture. Room acoustics can be challenging in more cavernous rooms, especially those with cathedral ceilings.
• If a piece of the conversation is not understood, try rephrasing what you are saying instead of repeating it. Sometimes just using a different word can help get the message across more easily.
• Consider assistive listening devices such as television "ears" and phone amplifiers (assistive listening devices) to assist someone in these specific situations.
• When choosing a cell phone, ask the cell phone dealer for the models with hearing aid compatibility. You can also visit www.accesswireless.org
• Get the grandchildren involved. Explain to small children that they should gain the attention of, as well as, face the person while speaking. Grandchildren can be encouraged to make grandparents’ listening much easier.
• Stay patient and do not raise your voice or yell. Yelling can make the words more distorted. Don’t give up trying to communicate; instead try speaking slower and more clearly.
• Make sure you are in the same room with the person with hearing loss; yelling from a different room creates frustration for both of you.
• Get hearing protection for yourself and your loved ones. Research indicates that more than 70 percent of all hearing loss is preventable.

In closing, in addition to communicating more effectively with someone with hearing loss, consider being even more proactive. If you have a loved one or even a close friend with hearing loss, encourage him or her to get regular check-ups from a Doctor of Audiology. The doctor will monitor any changes in his or her hearing loss and can recommend treatment options. The audiologist is up-to-date on the latest technology, with advances being brought to market more rapidly than ever as a record number of baby boomers are hitting that hearing loss age, after a lifetime of exposure to our noisy society.