Making family gatherings easier for those with hearing impairment

Thanksgiving is nearly here and with it come family gatherings and time spent with loved ones. For people with hearing loss these gatherings can present a major challenge. Having the entire family around the dinner table can be a very noisy affair. Anyone with hearing loss will likely tell you that trying to follow a conversation in the presence of background noise is extremely difficult. Fortunately there are some things you can do to make family gatherings a little easier for hearing impaired individuals:

• Get the attention of your hearing-impaired family member before speaking to them.

• Make sure the lighting is good and speak face-to-face at a regular tone.

• Many hearing-impaired individuals rely on lip reading to follow the conversation. Try to keep your face visible when speaking.

• If you are asked to repeat yourself try rephrasing your comment as it may be easier for your hearing impaired family member to hear some words or sounds better than others.

• Try not to have music or other sources of noise during your family gathering. The more noise the more challenging it will be for someone with hearing loss to follow the conversation.

• If you're dining out, try to choose a quiet restaurant and sit as far as possible from noisy spots like the front door or kitchen.

If you or someone you know suffers from hearing loss please contact Accurate Hearing:

Lower Sackville: 902-252-3004

Halifax: 902-423-7734

Cole Harbour: 902-406-4327