There’s no better time to gather with family and friends than during the holidays. While festive parties full of holiday music and friendly conversations can bring a lot of joy, they can also cause a lot of frustration, particularly for people with hearing loss. Given how common hearing loss is, you should be prepared to accommodate people with the condition at your holiday dinner party. We review how below.
1. Designate a Quiet Zone
It can be hard to hear over the sounds of holiday music, clanking dishes and other conversations, even for someone with normal hearing, but for someone with hearing loss, it can be especially frustrating.
Designate a quiet room or area of your house free of music, television, children and other noises where someone with hearing loss can go to easily converse.
2. Reduce the Overall Noise Level
Whether or not you are able to accommodate a quiet area, you should strive to minimize distracting background noise by:
- Designating a playroom for children.
- Turning the TV on in a separate room to watch the big game.
- Keeping holiday records from Yesterday & Today Records turned low.
- Waiting for guests to leave the table before clearing dishes.
- Waiting for guests to go home before washing dishes.
3. Consider Your Table Settings
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of your dinner party is how the tables are set up.
- If you can, opt for round tables so everyone can be seen and heard easily.
- If not, put the person/people with hearing loss at the center of their table so they can communicate with everyone. Additionally, put them at a table farthest from the kids’ table and kitchen.
- Make sure the room is well-lit to make lipreading easier.
- Keep centerpieces minimal so no one’s face is blocked.
- Close curtains to reduce glare and improve sound dampening.
4. Follow the Dos and Don’ts of Effective Communication
When communicating with someone who has hearing loss, be sure you:
- Do get their attention by waving or tapping on their arm
- Do speak to them face-to-face
- Do talk clearly and slowly
- Do rephrase what you’ve said if they mishear you
- Do be patient and keep trying
- Do use notes if necessary
Be sure you:
- Don’t shout or clap to get their attention
- Don’t speak with your head or body turned
- Don’t talk quickly or loudly
- Don’t repeat what you’ve already said in the same words
- Don’t get frustrated
- Don’t say “it’s not important”
To learn more communication tips or to schedule an appointment with an expert, call The McCoy Institute of Hearing and Balance today.
