Practical Advice for Communicating with Hearing Instrument Users

Practical Advice for Communicating with Hearing Instrument Users
•Speak clearly and naturally. It is not necessary to shout. Loud speech may overload the hearing instrument causing voice distortion and even discomfort to the wearer. Maintain a normal tone of voice, speak clearly and slowly.
•Move closer. Reducing the distance between the speaker and listener is helpful and encourages improved speech understanding. This is particularly important if there is background noise.
•Face the listener. Position yourself so that the listener can see your face and lips. Lip reading is instinctive to all of us, but it is particularly important for those with impaired hearing to supplement the sound of the speech.
•Attract the listener’s attention. This can be done by either using the person’s name, entering their field of vision or tapping them lightly on the shoulder.
•Take the surroundings into account. Avoid trying to have conversations from one room to another or in rooms with distracting noise, e.g. washing machine, vacuum cleaner, loud music, etc.
•Be aware of performance constraints. Never put the hearing impaired listener and their instruments under too much pressure. They both have their limits.
•Understand that using hearing instruments can be tiring. When conversing with a novice hearing instrument user be sensitive to signs of fatigue. Don’t force or prolong conversations if the listener is tired.
•Be patient. Respect the speed of progress and encourage the person with impaired hearing when obvious progress is made. Be a good listener and help the person to achieve the goal of participating in life again.