Positioning Yourself: Hearing-impaired people rely heavily on
lip-reading and non-verbal clues therefore choose a well-lit are, sit face
to face and position yourself where they can see your face. Remember that if
the hearing-impaired listener hears better in one ear than the other, it’s
important to position yourself on that ear’s side.
Avoid Talking From Distance: Not being able to see each other
when conversing is a common cause of communication difficulties.
Don’t Yell: Do not raise your tone but get closer. Speech
understanding may be more difficult and harder to understand if you shout.
Speak clearly, slowly and be patient.
Get Their Attention: Begin a conversation by addressing the
other person by name. This provides the listener a chance to focus their
attention and decreases the risk of misunderstanding words at the start of
the conversation.
Avoid Rushing: Slow down, pause between sentences or phrases,
and wait to be understood before continuing.
Avoid using long sentences: Remember to not complicate your
messages in the conversation. Slow down between sentences.
Don’t Cover Your Face: Speech will be more difficult to
understand if you are eating, chewing, or smoking when you’re talking. It
makes them hard to understand what you’re trying to say.
Be patient: Remember that even if they can hear your voice, they
may have trouble understanding certain terms.
Minimise Background Noise: Most hearing challenged people
struggle to interpret speech in noisy environments. When chatting, reduce
background noise. Prepare to walk to a better atmosphere and choose quieter
restaurants.
Avoid Loud Sounds: Extreme sensitivity to loud noises is common
among those who suffer from hearing loss. It’s best to avoid loud noises
whenever feasible.
Avoid Over Repeating: If the Hearing-impaired person has trouble
understanding a phrase or word, try stating it differently rather than
repeating it.
Familiarize the listener: Give an overview of the conversation’s
main points. Make sure to avoid abrupt shifts in topic. Tell the individual
with hearing loss what you’re talking about now if the topic is changed. If
you’re in a group conversation, rephrase crucial questions or information
before proceeding.
Providing Information: If you are providing precise information
to someone with hearing impairment, such as time, location, or phone
numbers, ask them to repeat it back to you. Numbers and words often rhyme.
Provide essential information, such as directions, schedules, and
instructions, in writing whenever possible.
Be Empathetic: Compassion is something you should always strive
to cultivate.
It’s difficult for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for the elderly or
those with hearing impairments. Depression and dementia are common side
effects of untreated hearing loss. Understanding your loved one’s condition
will help you better understand what they are going through. Therefore,
having the ability to empathise with your loved one’s circumstance is
essential.
