As a mobile hearing health practice, Hearing Health at Home visits senior centers, assistive living centers, senior communities, and private homes. We understand the importance of being comfortable in your personal space.
As the holidays approach, many of us will be hosting holiday events or perhaps we’ll be traveling to visit loved ones, where we’ll attend holiday festivities hosted by others. In the midst of all of the holiday cheer, it’s easy to forget that getting through the holidays with hearing loss might be somewhat challenging. Between Christmas music and catching up with a big group of your loved ones, you may find speech recognition to be a challenge.
Here, we provide a guide to the holidays with hearing loss – both for people who experience it and for people who will be hosting loved ones with hearing loss.
Holiday Tips for Those with Hearing Loss
Make Sure Your Hearing Aids are Up to Date
It’s important to take an annual hearing test, especially if you wear hearing aids. Our hearing abilities are constantly changing, and we do become accustomed to hearing a certain way. In other words, it may not sound like your hearing aids aren’t functioning as well as they once did, but you won’t know for sure without a hearing test!
In advance of the busy holiday season ahead, schedule an appointment with us at Hearing Health at Home Mobile Hearing Services. If you can’t make it to our office, we’ll come to your residence to test your hearing and make sure your hearing aids are up to date.
Wear Your Hearing Aids!
If you treat your hearing loss with hearing aids, make sure you’re wearing them at these holiday gatherings! That should go without saying, but some people may want to avoid conversations about their hearing. It may feel like a taboo. However, hearing aids ensure that you are able to connect with the sounds of your life – and catch up with your loved ones in conversation! If you’re traveling, make sure you have all of the hearing aid supplies you need (recharging station, batteries, cleaning supplies, etc.).
Focus on One-on-One or Small Group Conversations
It can be overwhelming to try to follow large group conversations, so if you have the opportunity, step aside for quieter one-on-one or small group conversations. Choose a quiet corner of the party space and try to position yourself with your back against the wall. With the wall behind you, you’ll be able to block out some of that background noise that might get in the way of hearing clearly.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Requests
Your hosts want to make sure that you have a good time! If you need the music turned down or if you need to switch seats at the dining table, don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations.
Holiday Tips for Hosting People with Hearing Loss
Ask Your Guests About Accommodations They May Need
When you’re planning dinner, you usually want to know what dietary restrictions people have, right? When planning a holiday party, don’t forget to ask party-goers about accessibility needs in your home. For your guests with hearing loss, ask what you can do to make their time more pleasant.
Keep the Volume at a Low
Holiday music is a great way to boost the ambiance of a party – but it could also hinder conversation, even for your guests with normal hearing. People with hearing loss experience challenges with speech recognition when there is a lot of competing background sounds. To make things easier for them, keep that holiday music at a low volume and if possible, turn your speakers away from the party area.
Set Up Several Areas for Catching Up
If you’ve got a family room or living room where the guests mingle, try to set up seating areas in smaller groups. With one big circle full of people speaking at once, it may be difficult to follow conversation. Set up smaller, more intimate seating areas so that your guests with hearing loss can have quieter conversations.
Visit Us at Hearing Health at Home – or We’ll Come Visit You!
Have you experienced changes in your hearing? It may be time for a hearing test. If you prefer mobile services, contact us to schedule an appointment. We also offer hearing health services at our office in downtown Oxford, North Carolina. Contact us today for a consultation.