Dealing With Friends and Family Who Have Hearing Loss

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

26 Jun 2007 12:56 PM

It can sometimes be frustrating to deal with a friend or loved one who has hearing loss. You may feel like they aren't paying attention to what you say, or just get tired of repeating yourself all the time. Talking to a person with hearing loss can be tiring and stressful! Here are some tips for better communication with a person with hearing loss.

• Use the person's name so they know you are speaking to them.
• Face the person directly so they can see your mouth, your whole face, and the gestures you make. Even if they don't catch every word, your body language can help them follow the conversation.
• Be close. Try to stay at a distance of three to six feet.
• Don't necessarily talk right into the person's ear. The volume may help, but they won't be able to see your expressions and gestures -- and those are important conversational clues!
• Don't shout. Do speak slightly louder than normal. Do speak slowly and clearly.
• If a friend or loved one with hearing loss doesn't understand you after you repeat the same thing twice, try to find another way to say it. It may not be your volume making things hard to understand -- it may be the combination of words or the speed of your speech.
• Keep background noise to a minimum if you can. Turn off the television or radio. If you want to play music, make it something without words.
• Arrange the seating so that everyone in a conversation is visible. Those Knights of the Round Table had a good idea there.
• Ask to sit in quieter sections at restaurants -- away from the main entrance, restrooms, and kitchen.
• Try to sit away from the door at the theater -- even if things are quiet when the doors are closed, noise comes in when people go in and out.

Don't ignore a person with hearing loss! Keep them involved in conversations. Help them keep up with topic changes, and ask questions (slowly and clearly) to keep them involved in the discussion.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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