Working with a Loved One that is Losing Hearing

Communicating with someone that is experiencing hearing loss can be difficult. When someone

that you have consistent interaction with begins to lose his or her hearing, it is important that you

know how to react properly to ensure that you can still communicate as much as you need to.

Speak Face to Face Start by making sure that you are talking to this individual face to face. You want to be on the

same level and make sure that you are in good light as often as you can be, to ensure that you are

able to be seen as well as heard.

Often times when an individual starts to lose his or her hearing, they will start to overcompensate

and depend on their sight to make up for their hearing loss. Talking with your face away from

the individual can make it difficult for them to hear what you are saying.

This means that you should not

expect them to hear you when you

are in a different room. If you have

something to say to someone that is

struggling to hear, make sure that

you walk to them and let them see

your face throughout the time that

you are talking to them.

Although you may find that you want

to start speaking louder or slower, it

is important that you avoid this at

first. Don’t try to talk fast but make

sure that you are talking normally while facing the individual with hearing loss.

If you are going to start a conversation with someone that has experienced hearing loss, start the

conversation with the individual’s name. Starting the conversation with the individual’s name

will ensure that you get their attention and that they are able to focus on you while you talk.

Take Turns when Speaking in Groups When you are in a group setting, it is important that you all take turns talking. When someone is

hearing impaired it can be very difficult to sort through a lot of extra noise to ensure that they are

able to hear what you are saying.

Take turns talking and make sure that everyone is respectful of this so that the individual that is

losing his or her hearing does not feel left out. Although this can be difficult, making a

concerted effort to do this can make a huge difference for the individual with hearing problems.

There may also be some tools that you can introduce to the individual with hearing loss. A

captioned phone can be a great way to ensure that this person is still able to talk on the phone

throughout the time that they experience hearing loss.

A captioned phone will enable an individual with hearing loss to read the conversation rather

than having to listen to it. The captioned phone service provides many people the ability to use

their phone when they would not have the option after losing their hearing.

Although working with someone that has lost hearing can be difficult, it is important that you are

patient and loving. This way, you can continue to interact and enjoy one another’s company.