Hearing Loss and Holiday Parties

There are lots of holiday gatherings with family, friends, and coworkers. But someone with hearing loss can struggle tremendously in such situations.

Holiday parties

You might hear multiple conversations taking place. You might hear music playing the background. Or, you might hear silverware clanging together. No matter what the sound, noisy environments can be challenging for someone with hearing loss. Even someone with normal hearing can struggle to hear at holiday parties. So, do what you can to make everyone feel included. Here’s what you can do to help your family, friends, and coworkers with hearing loss:

• Get their attention - Say their name or touch their shoulder so they know you want to talk to them.
• Keep eye contact - Have a face-to-face conversation and allow them to focus on your lip movements and facial expressions for better understanding.
• Be attentive - Someone quiet might simply have hearing loss. Be mindful of someone who is not participating.
• Rephrase, don’t repeat - Because someone might not understand specific letters or words, due to hearing loss, don’t simply repeat what you say--rephrase your words instead.
• Speak clearly - Speak at normal volume and at a reasonable pace. A reasonable pace is not too fast or not too slow. Don’t shout or mumble; shouting distorts words and mumbling is hard to understand.
• Don’t cover your mouth - Let people with hearing loss see your mouth so they can read your lips. Don’t chew gum or eat while talking.    

All of these things will make someone with hearing loss feel more included and less frustrated.

If you know someone with hearing loss, have him or her contact Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test.

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