Good communication skills are not only necessary when speaking with another person…it is essential if the person you are talking to has a hearing loss. A person with a hearing loss either with a hearing aid or without has increased difficulty in understanding and processing speech.
So if you have a friend or a loved one or simply happen across someone who is having difficulties with hearing; then a few simple acts that you can utilize will help make your communication and conversation easier for everyone involved. Honestly, even if a person doesn’t have a hearing loss it will still make carrying on a conversation more enjoyable.
First… and this is probably the hardest thing to do…. Get the person’s attention to whom you wish to speak with. Say their name and then pause. This pause will allow them time to realize that you are going to speak and also let them stop thinking about what they are thinking about. It will allow them to focus on your speech. This action also makes you.. the speaker to be aware of how you are speaking.
Second… when you speak to someone… LOOK at them.. Whether or not they have a hearing loss; it always easier to hear and understand.
Third… now that you have each others attention your conversation will be more effortless. It is important to understand that it is often hard to hear someone if they are not in the same room.
Fourth…. A person with a hearing loss simply can not understand someone that is in a different room.. THEY JUST CAN’T. Sound is pressure. The greater the distance from the source..the softer the pressure. In other words; the further away you get from what you are listening to the softer it sounds. What fades the fastest are the soft sounds of the consonants and this is what makes up the meanings of the words. So; this translates into sound but no meaning. Has your husband or wife tell you; “ I need you to look at me when you talk to me!” This is so true and SO HELPFUL!! I am sure you have been at a traffic light and heard some kids car with the bass just pumping and booming. You can’t hear any speech… just the boom boom boom. That is what you sound like to the person with a hearing loss if you are in another room… “BLAH- BLAH-BLAH!!”
Five…Looking at the other person allows for facial expressions. It also helps to minimize ambient and competing sounds. In other words it helps to give a direct path from your lips into their ears with out diminishing the sound pressure.
Six…if someone doesn’t understand something… then try re-phrasing the sentence. There are obviously certain words or consonants that they simply can’t pick up so a simple change of words can solve the problem quickly.
Seven… If a person wears hearing instruments… you don’t need to speak up. Speak a little bit slower. Put a slight pause in between the sentences. Speaking too loudly can actually make the whole situation worse.. maybe even on the edge of uncomfortable or painful to the hearing instrument wearer.
Eight… When we were kids we spoke very very fast and everyone could keep up. As we get older our speech processing slows down. Just a fact. When you have a hearing loss then the auditory signal that goes to the brain is distorted. Thus, the brain has to work hard to decipher the speech signal that it is getting. Often; you may be on your 3 or 4th word of the sentence (almost 1/2 way through) before the person with the hearing loss realizes that you are talking to them. Then they try to figure it out and you are already at the end of the sentence and then you get “huh?’
To help alleviate some of your stressors try the above tips. It really does work and will make communication so much easier. If you are over 50 then it is time for a complete hearing evaluation for your medical records. We can help 385-3497.
To Hear Better Is To Live Better!
By: Roseann B. Kiefer, B.A., BC-HIS