8 Simple Ways to Communicate with People Who Have Hearing Loss

For many, losing your hearing is a life-altering experience. Your ability to hear is as natural as breathing and people listen without thinking.

Not only can hearing loss impact on your ability interact with others, but also for some people, learning how to live with hearing loss can be a frustrating and stressful experience.

If you have friends or family who are going through the process of adjusting to life with hearing loss, here are 8 simple ways that you can communicate with them in a sensitive manner.

1. Keep it face to face

Directly facing the person you are speaking to can help to make it so much easier for them to keep up with the conversation.

Most people use basic lip-reading to help improve their recognition of some sounds that may be more difficult for them to hear. So make sure you try to keep your face clear of anything that might cover or obstruct your mouth (like hands or scarves). If possible, try to avoid sitting in dark corners or areas where there is not much lighting.

2. Try to maintain eye contact

It’s a well-known fact that your facial expressions and body language are a vital part of how you communicate with other people. For example, you can easily see if someone is happy, excited or angry by the expression on his or her face. So it’s important that you try to maintain direct eye contact with the person you are speaking to throughout the conversation.

3. Don’t talk to them from another room

This tip is simple, but easily it’s easy to forget. How many times have you called out to someone from another room, asking them to bring you something from the kitchen or your bedroom?

Try to avoid shouting to them from another room and make the trip from one room to another so you can carry on the conversation with them face to face.

4. Don’t just keep repeating yourself

If someone is struggling to hear what you are saying then the best thing you can try to do is to rephrase it in a different way. With certain types of hearing loss some people lose the ability to hear certain sounds, for example people with high frequency hearing loss can struggle to hear the consonants S, F, T and Z.

If they didn’t hear you the first time then it’s unlikely they will hear you the second or third, so just try to say the sentence again using different words.

5. Minimise background noise

Background noise comes in many forms; the TV, radio, music, other conversations happening around us, or the noise of traffic from a busy road.

Try to reduce background noise as much as possible, this could mean muting the TV while you are speaking, turning off the radio or moving into a quieter room - away from other people speaking or moving around.

6. Have one-to-one conversations

Social situations and group conversations can be difficult for people experiencing hearing loss. One-to-one chats are much easier to keep up with, so if you see a friend or family member struggling then why not subtly invite them to the corner of the room to start a one-to-one conversation.

7. Avoid shouting or raising your voice

Not only can shouting or raising your voice come across as aggressive, it can also distort your mouth and the words you are trying to say – making it even harder for a person with hearing loss to understand what you are saying.

For people who are already using certain types of hearing aids, it can also be physically uncomfortable.

8. Gently get their attention

Before starting a conversation make sure you have been able to get their attention by gently tapping them on the arm, saying their name, or making eye contact. These simple signals can help to prepare them to listen or focus on the person who is speaking.

On average, it takes people with hearing loss 5 to 7 years to seek help.

If you have friends or loved ones who are showing the signs of hearing loss then it may be time to consider visiting an expert audiologist.

Hearing aids have undergone a dramatic development in recent years and an audiologist will be able to point them in the direction of the very latest in hearing technology available today.