If you have a family member who’s recently been diagnosed with hearing loss or a similar hearing-related issue, it can be tricky to know exactly how you should adapt and respond. If that’s the situation you find yourself in right now, we have some tips and tricks that’ll help you to help them and to ensure the communication between the two of you is as strong as it can be. So read on now to find out more.
Speak Clearly and Stay in Their Line of Sight
First of all, you need to make sure that you’re speaking clearly when communicating with the person experiencing hearing loss. If you’re not communicating in a clear and concise way, it can make it harder for them to understand what you’re trying to say.
Speak with as much clarity as you possibly can and let them see your face as you speak as this can often help too.
Rephrase and Repeat When Necessary
When necessary, you should take the time to rephrase and repeat sentences.
Sometimes, the way in which you phrase something or the specific words you use can make it more difficult for the individual to understand what you’re saying.
So if they don’t understand you one time, simply try again and rephrase the sentence. By repeating and rephrasing, you should help them understand.
Help Them Seek the Help They Require
Helping them get the help they need and finding ways to treat their hearing loss will be really important.
Tasks such as choosing a hearing aid or selecting other forms of treatment will obviously be important and you’ll need to help them deal with these challenges. It’s not always easy to overcome those tasks but it’s always easier when there’s extra support in place and you’re capable of offering that.
Avoid Getting Frustrated
Avoiding frustration can be one of the hardest tasks when you’re new to helping someone with hearing loss.
It’s always a little frustrating when you’re not being understood, but that comes with the territory and you simply have to get used to it. Once you get into the habit of communicating in an adapted way to help them understand, the frustrations should be less of an issue.
Try to Reduce Background Noise When Talking
Another thing you can do to make communication easier for someone with hearing loss problems is to reduce the amount of background noise they’re exposed to when you’re having a conversation.
Picking out and focusing on sounds can be difficult for people with hearing loss, so reducing background noises is something that helps them a lot, so try to do this whenever you can.
There are many things you can do to help someone who’s experiencing hearing loss or other hearing-related problems. It takes a little patience and a willingness to change the ways in which you communicate, but if you’re willing to do that, it’ll benefit you both moving forward and that’s what’s most important.
