Services & Support
Supporting the Hard of Hearing on the Coast since 1977
COMMUNICATION TIPS for the Hearing and Friends
The tips listed below will be added to over the coming weeks so keep checking our website for new additions. Some will be tips that you already use, and some may cast a new light on hearing loss for you, your family, and friends.
A diagnosis of hearing loss can be emotionally unsettling for some people and as they come to terms with the loss and learn to manage it, there are many ways in which support can be given.
Take a look at the following link to the IDA Institute for more helpful information –
https://idainstitute.com//what_we_do/news/detail/10_helpful_tips_for_communication_partners/
| Tips for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People | Tips for your Family and Friends |
| Where possible conserve your energy. Allow others to do things for you. Hearing loss is very tiring. | Recognise that hearing loss is exhausting, having to concentrate all the time so that communication flows correctly and that the Hard of Hearing person ‘gets it right’. Be ready to assist. |
| Be brave and let others know about your hearing loss. | The loss of hearing can be very unsettling and positive support is needed and appreciated. |
| Remember to position yourself to your advantage when talking with others. Make sure the light is not in your eyes and is on the face of the person to whom you are speaking. | People with hearing loss need to see lips, facial expressions, and body language clearly to communicate well. Make sure that the area is well-lit and that the light is not in their eyes. |
Communication is most effective when we are positioned on the same level as the speaker. If they are seated, take a seat next to or opposite them. | Communication is most effective when we are positioned on the same level as the speaker. If they are seated, take a seat next to or opposite them. |
| Sound vibrates and ricochets on hard surfaces. If you are having difficulty hearing, see if you can go to another area. Soft furnishing (carpet, cushions, curtains etc) can make it easier for you to hear. | See if it is possible for you and your HoH/deaf friend to talk in a better area, one that is furnished with soft furnishings rather than hard surfaces so that your conversation will not compete with sounds bouncing off hard surfaces. |
| Look out for movies that are captioned. Seeing those movies will help you to join in a conversation about current films. Cinemas will advertise them as Captioned or with the letters CC in the advertisement. | Look for movies that are captioned and take your HoH friend/family member. Cinemas will advertise them as Captioned or with the letters CC in the advertisement. You both can have a great discussion afterwards over a tea or coffee. |
| Avoid sitting in front of a wall at a restaurant as sound bounces off hard walls. If you can, sit beside a friend so that they can let you know when the topic of conversation changes. | At a restaurant with others try to remember to let your HoH/deaf friend or family member know when topic of conversation changes. |
| If you are a new Hearing Aid user, wear your Hearing Aid for at least 4 hours a day so that your brain can get used to the new sounds. | Those new to wearing a Hearing Aid can experience extreme tiredness having to struggle with new sounds and the extra concentration needed, so prepare to be patient with them. |
| Know how to use the T-switch on your Hearing Aid. Your audiologist will turn it on and help you with it. Knowing how to use the T-switch will help with clarity of sound. | Please do not shout. Shouting distorts the sound that you produce and makes it difficult for the person with hearing loss to hear and to understand |
| Use your other senses where you can. Put your hand under the tap to make sure that it is not dripping, make sure the gas has been turned off by using your sense of smell and look for items that may have dropped onto the floor around you. | Allow time for your spoken communication to be heard clearly and understood. Keep your messages short remembering that communication is difficult for a person with hearing loss. |
| Yes, it is easier to speak than to hear but remember to ask others to join in the conversation. | If the person with hearing loss tends to take over the conversation, remember that for them speaking is easier than listening. |
And lastly, everyone, remember to use your sense of humour whenever possible.
More tips on communication for you and your family and friends. Communication with loved ones is probably the thing that is most missed as hearing worsens.
| Let your family and friends know that it is best to get your attention before speaking to you by touching you on the hand, arm, or shoulder and speaking your name. | Get the attention of the Hard of Hearing person before speaking. This is most effectively done by touching them on the hand, arm, or shoulder and speaking their name. |
Ask your family and friends to face you always before they speak to you. Train your family and friends not to talk to you as they face the open fridge or cupboard. Talking to you from another room doesn’t work either. | Always face the person with hearing loss when speaking to them. It is most frustrating for the Hard of Hearing to know that you are speaking to them from another room or talking into the fridge or cupboard. If you catch yourself talking from another room, talking into the cupboard or fridge, bring in your sense of humour, making a joke of it. |
| If people have your attention and you can’t understand them, ask them to repeat what they are saying using different words. | If your message is not heard/understood, be ready to paraphrase, using different words, the important details so that you know that those details are correctly understood. Write them down if need beIf your message is not heard/understood, be ready to paraphrase, using different words, the important details so that you know that those details are correctly understood. Write them down if need be. |
| Carry a small note book and pen. Ask others to write down what you can’t hear or understand. | Be ready to write down what is not clearly heard or understood. Also note dates, times of appointment, where to meet etc. |
| When attending an important appointment (medical, hearing health, optometrist, legal, business, banking) take someone with you who can assist you by interpreting, writing down and remembering important details. | Support is most needed and appreciated when many things are discussed, and choices are to be made. Make notes of important details, e.g. what the practitioner needs from the HoH person, and what the practitioner will do for their client. |
| When dining at a restaurant, choose a table with good light and away from noisy kitchens and loud music. Have the confidence to ask for loud music to be turned down. | When arranging a meal with a deaf friend, if possible, go to the restaurant to make the booking. Choose a table away from the noisy kitchen and any loud music (or speakers) and let the restaurant staff know why you are making those choices. They will usually do all that they can to help. |
| When dining out or at a meeting, ask the person sitting next to you to tell you when the topic of conversation changes. | Let the HoH person know when the topic of conversation changes. This fact can easily escape the notice of the deaf and causes embarrassment if communication is incorrect. |
| Know how to use the captions on your TV. Go through the steps in the manual with a relative or friend. | Help your HoH relative/friend manage access to the captions on the TV so that they can keep up with the news of the day. |
| Ask your audiologist about Assistive Listening Devices that could help you. Assistive Listening Devices are essentially amplifiers which bring sound closer to the ear and can be used with or without a hearing aid. The audiologist can make suggestions to help with meetings, watching TV, listening to music, hearing alarms, etc. | Assistive Listening Devices are essentially amplifiers which bring sound closer to the ear and can be used with or without a hearing aid. Help your HoH relative/friend by searching the web and making suggestions. Ask the audiologist which one would be compatible with their aids. |
| Find out about Lions Hearing Dogs. One might be of a great help to you and Better Hearing Australia, Central Coast Branch can give you more details. | Google Lions Hearing Dogs or call Lions Hearing Dogs in Adelaide 08 8388 7836 for more details. Talk to your relative/friend to see if a Hearing Dog would help them. |
| Going into hospital or travelling? Our Personal Kit can help you manage your hearing loss whilst you are away from home. | Make a call for your relative/friend to BHACC about the Personal Kit for hospital visits or holidaying. |
| Make sure the tubing in your aids is soft and pliable. If it becomes hard, cracked or brittle, have the Audiologist replace it. Doing this will enable you to hear better and may stop the aids whistling. Aids will also whistle if the mould is loose. It can become loose if you lose weight, too. | If necessary, be prepared to check your relative/friend’s aid for cracked or brittle tubing which will prevent them hearing well and stop the aids whistling. Ask the audiologist to check the fitting of the mould if the aid is whistling or there has been loss of weight |