Communication tips

How to talk to someone with hearing loss

You can have an impact on improving your loved ones quality of life by giving them the ability to interact with the world around them, enjoy life and get back to socialising with friends and family.

The best way to help your loved one communicate more effectively is to help them understand more about their hearing and how the solutions available can have a life changing effect on their quality of life. Show them that they are never far away from expert help and advice.

Five tips to follow

It can be difficult to communicate with a loved one when they have hearing loss. Use these tips to improve the effectiveness of your communication:

Speak naturally and at an even speed. Shouting distorts your voice and makes it more difficult to understand.
Be guided by their rate of speech. Follow this as this is what they are used to.
Face the person you are talking to. They need to see your face and the words you speak. Body language makes up more than 50% of communication.
Most people who have difficulties hearing lip read, whether they know it or not! Do not cover your mouth.
If you need to repeat yourself, use the same words as you originally said. If you need to repeat yourself once more, change the words.

an elderly man taking photo on the beach

Today’s hearing solutions combine the latest intelligent hearing aid technology with small, sleek designs. Hearing aids today provide maximum comfort with a high performance listening experience.

Hearing aid solutions enable your loved one to reconnect with the world around them. With the availability of different styles and levels of technology, there is a hearing aid to fit their lifestyle, hearing needs and budget.

Depending on the environments that they find most challenging, we offer a wide selection of hearing aids that automatically change settings to respond to any change in listening conditions. The hearing devices can even be controlled through the Amplifon App on a smartphone. Contact your local Amplifon clinic to learn more.

Signs of hearing loss

We’ve detailed some of the first signs of hearing loss to use as a checklist if you think you or your loved one is experiencing difficulties with their hearing:

Asking to repeat what’s been said
Noticing that when listening to the TV, radio or music, the volume is louder than normal
Interacting within a group environment is minimal due not being able to hear people talking against background noise
Missing parts of the conversation
Inability to hear on the telephone
Asking people to speak louder
Not hearing the sound of the doorbell and telephone ringing
Not knowing which direction a sound is coming from
Feeling tired or stressed due to the concentration required when listening to a conversation
Complaining that people are mumbling
Asking others details about a meeting or presentation you attended
Not hearing when you cannot see the face of the person you are talking to (lip reading)
Finding some voices easier to hear than others e.g. difficulty hearing children’s or women’s voices