How to Help Someone With Hearing Loss

Experiencing hearing loss can make life difficult. Hearing loss makes it a challenge to communicate and can be frustrating to everyone involved. When you experience hearing loss, your relationships can be negatively affected.

Hearing loss can make it difficult to communicate and understand others. Relationships can become strained. Feelings get hurt, frustration and stress can occur when someone is trying to communicate and is not being understood. 

Become a Hearing Advocate

As a family member, you may feel frustrated with your loved one who has experienced hearing loss. However, it is important to remember what hearing loss is like for them. Practice empathy and be able to relate to what your loved one or friend has come up against hearing loss. This will help increase your patience with them and yourself.

You can reduce everyone’s frustrations by practicing these 7 steps:

• Provide eye contact. Make sure you face a person who has hearing loss. Make direct eye contact. Use your facial expressions and body language to help convey your message. People who experience hearing loss can still read expressions of excitement, confusion, frustration, joy or sadness in the face and through body language.

• Shut off Sounds so they can hear one sound clearly. Reducing background noise when talking will allow for more focused sound. When engaging in a conversation, turn off the TV or music. Sit in a quiet space away from any noise. If you are in a restaurant, ask for a table away from the kitchen or loud spaces.

• Be Patient. They are often trying to read lips. Understand that the person you are speaking with may be trying to read your lips. They are relying on you to speak clearly and slowly. This helps them understand what you are saying besides their use of a hearing aid.

• Be Kind. It is frustrating for everyone. Be a hearing advocate for your loved ones. If you know you are going to be in a social situation, remind others that your loved one will need to speak with them directly. You can sit next to that person and make sure they aren’t missing important information. Be careful not to over-compensate for the person’s hearing loss. Give them enough space so they can join in on the conversation.

• Speak Clearly and Slowly. Speak clearly without exaggeration. Shouting is unnecessary and often distorts the words. Enunciate clearly and speak at a normal rate. Pause at the end of the sentence to give the person time to process and read your lips.

• Repeat or try rephrasing, if you see the listener having difficulty understanding something you say. Repeat what you said once. If there is still an issue, try saying it a different way in a more concise manner. For example, you could say I am going to the grocery store instead of the supermarket. Try to determine which words are not being understood so you can repeat only those words.

1. Always face them when speaking. People who can hear, won’t know that you are talking to them unless you are facing them. Tap the light on the shoulder, then face them to make sure they can see your lips and hear what you are saying.

Attend Hearing Appointments

Being involved with your loved one’s hearing appointment is something you can do to support them. You will get the chance to talk with a hearing care professional and ask questions about their hearing loss. Write down the responses so you can remember what was shared. You can then discuss what you heard and help the one you care for decide about their hearing care.

Communication is vital to any relationship.  Being able to talk with friends and family members is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. When communication breaks down because of hearing loss, the best thing you can do for your loved one is to support them and encourage them to seek help from a hearing care professional.

If you are the partner who has experienced hearing loss, it will be a significant benefit to you to take the first step and seek help. Improving your hearing will improve your relationships and increase your personal sense of wellness. Contact El Dorado Hearing today. We are here to help you hear better.