Suffering From Hearing Loss? Tips for Communicating
There was a great article at OrlandoSentinel.com yesterday that gave some tips for communicating with people who are suffering from hearing loss. The writer of the article discloses that she suffers from severe hearing loss and wears hearing aids. Though she’s learned to ask for help, she says, there are many who suffer in silence. She offers some tips for communicating with people who are experiencing hearing loss, noting that you might not even realize that a family member has lost hearing, and they might not know it either.
The first tip she offers is to be visible. Reading lips and seeing facial expressions is necessary, and you may need to politely tap a person’s shoulder or wave to get their attention.
Don’t shout, she says. Speak clearly in a normal voice, and state the context. And instead of repeating things louder and louder, rephrase what you’re saying so that the listener gets more clues and will better be able to understand you.
Background noise can make it very hard for a person suffering from hearing loss to effectively communicate. So make an effort to talk in a quiet place where there’s minimal noise.
If you’re misunderstood, just politely correct the person so that they don’t go off on a tangent. The last tip is to never give up, as you could make the person feel like they’re not worth being included.
If you or a loved one are suffering from hearing loss, you may find that wearing hearing aids greatly improves your life, enabling you to hear sounds clearly and loudly. At Hearing Aid Express, we offer a variety of hearing aids. We also accept Medicaid Hearing Aid Benefits.
Tags: hearing aid, hearing aid express, hearing aids, hearing loss, medicaid hearing aid benefits, suffering from hearing loss
