How to talk to someone with hearing loss
Not being able to hear affects everyone who is close to someone with hearing problems. These may include family, friends as well as co-workers and miscommunication, misunderstandings and repeating what was said frustrate everyone involved. Just being aware of the difficulties faced is the first step.
Hearing loss means a decrease in the volume of sounds as well as a decrease in the clarity of speech. This could apply even when someone is speaking loudly. ‘Hearing’ what is said is not the same as understanding the conversation; certain words or sounds may be confusing. Background noises, especially, hamper a hard of hearing person’s ability to interpret sounds correctly. Even someone with normal hearing may experience difficulty when there are many background noises. People with hearing loss experience these same difficulties far more intensely.
Though there are few stigmas attached to being hard of hearing, some people may still feel uncomfortable about this. They may be embarrassed and act as though they understand what was said even when they don’t. This may happen even when wearing a hearing aid; these devices do not restore hearing back to normal. Hearing aids and other assistive listening devices do help, but the person wearing them may still need help to understand what was said.
A new hearing aid takes some getting used to. This is true especially for those who may have been hearing impaired for a long time. Many sounds, most of them forgotten, need to be relearned. The person’s life, which has been quiet until the fitting of the hearing aid, suddenly becomes noisy. It might be overwhelming at first. The first fitting may not be the last; it does take a few of them before the hearing aid sits comfortably and provides good quality sound.
Many people have a hearing assistive device fitted and do not feel comfortable with it. They then remove it and leave it in a drawer somewhere. Should you know someone like this, encourage him or her to give the hearing device another try. Be patient but firm when encouraging him or her.
Try not to mistake hearing loss for senility in older people. A thorough hearing test is needed as part of any health evaluation.
Practice good communication with hearing impaired people
Here are a couple of hints to ease communication. These hints may be used to communicate with anyone, not just those who are hearing impaired. Communication should be enjoyable for everyone; it is a two-way street. Follow these hints to make the experience as pleasurable as possible.
1. Ensure you have the person’s attention before you begin to speak. Being ready to communicate makes i easier; he or she won’t miss out on anything.
2. Do not shout; it is better to speak in a clear voice with good projection. Make sure your voice is not too loud and enunciate clearly.
3. Do not overemphasize your words.
4. Regulate your speech; do not speak too fast or too slow. It helps to keep the tempo of speech slower than normal. Do not, however, speak too slowly.
5. Keep your face visible when speaking. He or she will find it easier to understand you when nothing covers your face. Also ensure there is enough lighting around you. Seeing someone’s lips could help the person who is hearing impaired when trying to understand the conversation – they provide extra clues.
6. Be aware of the noise around you. Many background sounds make it difficult to understand what is being said. If possible, turn off the sources before you attempt a conversation. If that is not possible to do, consider moving somewhere with less noise.
7. Only speak to someone who is in the same room as you. This makes it easier – distance is important. Being far away from the person whom you are talking to reduce the possibility to be heard. Being in the same room should help.
8. Merely repeating a sentence may not work; rephrasing it might be more effective.
9. Misunderstandings may happen so be alert to the possibility. Find out if the person understands by asking questions from time to time.
10. Being relaxed and patient would help you and the person with hearing loss. Try using a kind facial expression as well as an accepting attitude – this helps to relax both parties and to enjoy the conversation. That is the point of having a conversation, after all.