May 6, 2024
These tips for individuals with hearing loss can help them navigate group conversations effectively.
Background noise, mumblers, and fast talkers—these factors and more make it challenging for someone with hearing loss to engage in group conversations, and may cause them to feel left out entirely. People who do not have hearing loss need to understand this challenge and remember to speak clearly, facing the individual.
For anyone dealing with hearing loss, the strategies below can help:
- Turn away from noise or other background disturbances.
- Ensure you are well-rested before participating in an occasion where you will be listening to a lot of conversation.
- Use what you already know about the speaker to help provide clues on what is going on in the conversation, such as the individual’s interests or lifestyle.
- Ask people to repeat themselves when necessary or repeat back the part of the message that you understood with a request for the speaker to repeat whatever part was unclear. (For example, “Where did you go?” “Who was it that called you last week?”)
- Stay informed about current events.
- Tell the people you’re with that you have hearing loss; that way they know to adjust their speech, face you when they’re talking, or make other accommodations to help keep you in the discussion.
- Sit or stand in such a way that you can see the faces of all those who are speaking.
It is beneficial to know that hearing aids today can usually compensate for most of the hearing loss in people with reduced hearing, and surgical procedures may be something for the person to consider. Check with the individual’s health care provider to discover whether any of the current solutions may help, and contact Continuum for support as well. We offer skilled, experienced, in-home care for older adults with hearing loss as well as any other issues of aging, enabling older adults to remain safe, independent, and thriving at home through services such as:
- Errand-running to pick up food items, prescriptions, or any other required items
- Friendly, nurturing companionship to participate in favorite interests and hobbies, conversations, exercising, etc.
- Accompanied transportation to health-related appointments and procedures, visits with family and friends, and fun excursions
- Light housekeeping and meal preparation
- Personal care, including, as appropriate, help with hygiene and bathing, getting dressed, ambulation and transferring, etc.
- And much more
Connect with us at (314) 863-9912 or (636) 861-3336 or reach out to us online to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation with our elder care experts and take the first step in boosting quality of life for someone you love in St. Louis, Ladue, Clayton, or the surrounding areas.