Communication Tips
For The Hearing Aid Wearer

Wearing hearing instruments are the first step in successfully restoring a healthy communication relationship with your family and friends. Good quality hearing devices are a good solution to improve speech understanding, but even with the technology today, hearing instruments have limitations and can not restore hearing back to normal. Here are a few simple tips to help receive optimal benefit from your hearing device. These tips can also be used by those who do not wear hearing devices, but have difficulty hearing in certain situations.

Background Noise.

Background noise is one of the hardest listening situations to understand speech in. If possible, reduce the level of the background noise by simply closing an open window or door, turning off the television or radio or moving to a quieter area. Visual cues such as lip reading and other facial gestures can be helpful to assist speech understanding.

Visual Cues.

Visual cues such as lip reading and facial expressions can provide assistance with conversation. You can only get better with practice, so practice reading visual cues by watching TV.

Stand In Well-Lit Areas.

Good lighting helps the face of the speaker to be seen clearly, making visual cues easier to be seen.

Move Closer To The Speaker.

Reduce the distance between yourself and the speaker, especially in areas with background noise. The further away you are from the speaker, the harder it is to see visual cues and hear speech.

Repeat / Rephrase.

If you have difficulty understanding what was said, repeat back what you heard, so the speaker can rephrase what you missed. Alternatively, write down important information.

Specific Questioning.

Ask specific questions that require a yes or no answer. For example, “Does this bus go to the city?”

Be Assertive.

Don’t be afraid to ask people to speak more slowly or to repeat what they said. If you tell them that you have a hearing loss, the speaker can be more understanding and aware of how they are speaking.

Watching Television.

There is a huge range of TV listening devices out there for those who have difficulty hearing the television. Some devices even work in conjunction with your hearing aid, sending the signal directly to the hearing instrument. Click here for further information. Infrared headphones are an excellent alternative to hearing aids for listening to the TV. The headphones will not interfere with the TV volume, so the whole family can watch TV together. Ask the staff at ALL EARS IN HEARING for further information and a free in clinic demonstration.

Using the Telephone.

Using the telephone when wearing hearing devices can be tricky to get used to. If you have a behind-the-ear instrument, hold the phone up higher than normal, as the microphone sits above your ear. If you have an in-the-ear instrument, hold the phone normally. If you are getting any whistling, move the handset slightly away from the instrument. For corded, land line phones, use the telecoil program on your hearing instrument and position the handset to get the best signal. In addition, there are many accessories available to help you use the phone more effectively such as a specialized volume control phone or for profoundly deaf people, a Telephone Typewriter (TTY). Click here for further information. Contact All Ears in Hearing for further information and free demonstration.

Driving Your Car.

You can reduce the amount of road and traffic noise by winding up the windows in the car. Alternatively if you wear two hearing aids, you can turn down the volume or take off the aid closest to the road (right) and only wear the left. This still allows you to communicate with other passengers. Reduce the volume of the stereo to minimize background noise.

Dining Out.

When making reservations at a restaurant, request a table in a quiet location with good lighting. If possible, seat yourself with your back facing the majority of the noise. Hearing instruments with directional microphone technology work on the assumption that what you are facing is what you want to hear.

Attending Lectures, Meetings, Church etc.

If your hearing is the same in both ears, sit close to the signal source (teacher, speaker etc) and sit in the centre. If your hearing is better in one ear, sit with the better ear closest to the sound source. Enquire if a loop or FM system is available and use that to improve speech understanding. If possible, obtain an agenda or lecture notes beforehand to help with following the meeting or lecture.

At Home.

Always use your hearing instruments. The more you wear them, the better the brain will be at differentiating speech from noise. Tell friends and family that you have a hearing problem and educate them on how to communicate effectively with you.

At Work.

Tell others about your hearing loss, as this can make them more likely to assist you in understanding conversation. Educate co-workers on talking clearly and facing you.

Loop, Infrared and FM Systems.

These types of systems are excellent for overcoming distance and background noise by providing a clear signal to the wearer’s hearing instruments. Some establishments like movie theatres, banks, churches and schools are starting to use these systems to help with the hearing impaired. Click here for further information. 

Accessories.

There are many accessories available to help speech understanding in a variety of listening situations such as restaurants, meetings, lectures, telephone and TV. Click here for further information. 

As a general rule, you should always confirm information such as appointments, payment of bills, names and numbers. It never hurts to double check, especially if it saves you from getting incorrect information.

All communication tips are written by staff at ALL EARS IN HEARING 2006.