How to communicate with someone who has hearing loss

Nov 10, 2021 | Marie Suszynski, Writer | @mariemayohecs | Comments (11)

When you’re conversing with someone who has hearing loss, keep in mind that what to you is simple communication may be a tiring effort for your companion. A person with hearing loss has to make an active effort to understand. Hearing aids may help, but turning up the volume won’t make distorted sounds any clearer.

Enhance communication with someone who has hearing loss by using these practical suggestions:

Before starting to talk, reduce the level of background noise — Turn off the television, radio, air conditioner or other noisy appliances. Don’t leave a faucet running. If you can’t reduce background noise, try to move to a quieter area.
Make sure you have the person’s attention before speaking — You can do this by saying his or her name or touching his or her shoulder.
Talk face-to-face — Speak at eye level, no more than a few feet away. Don’t chew gum, smoke, talk behind a newspaper or cover your mouth while you’re having the conversation.
Speak at a typical conversational level — especially if the person is wearing hearing aids or has a cochlear implant. Don’t shout. If necessary, modestly increase your volume.
Speak clearly but naturally — Slow your speech a little, using a few more pauses than usual.
Use facial expressions, gestures and other body language cues — They help to make your points.
Watch your listener’s face for signs that comprehension is a problem — Rephrase your statements if the listener is unsure of what’s been said.
Alert your listener to changes in topics of conversation.
Show extra consideration in a group situation — What’s known as cross-talk is one of the most difficult situations for someone with hearing loss. Try to structure events so that only one person is speaking at a time. At meetings, it’s helpful to display an agenda on a board or monitor and, as the meeting progresses, to indicate which item is under discussion.