Caring for a Person with Hearing Loss

The most common form of hearing loss is associated with aging. If you care for an elderly person, then be mindful of hearing loss. Sometimes, if a person struggles to keep up with conversation or seems distant and confused, hearing loss can be mistaken for dementia. With this in mind, talk to that person about scheduling a hearing test with an audiologist.

If hearing loss is confirmed, consider these other strategies to improve their ability to hear at home.

Things you Can Do

If the person can see your face clearly and in a good light, they are better able to read your face and lips. Facial expressions can really help someone struggling to hear, to fill in the blanks and make sense of what they did hear. Ideally, sit or stand about 3 – 6 feet away, and fully face the person. Make sure your face is well lit, rather than in shadow.  Also, be sure to get their full attention before you start speaking.

When you start speaking, tell the person what you are about to talk about. This helps them recognize key words within the conversation, which allows the brain to fill in blanks. Speak clearly but avoid shouting as this can be intimidating. Avoid the use of unusual words, since the listener won’t be expecting them.

Be patient, and don’t talk too fast as their brain is working extra hard to make sense of the sounds they did hear. Pause from time to time and ask the listener if they understood what was said. If they didn’t catch it, rephrase and repeat the information in a slightly different way.

It can sometimes be helpful to write down key words for the listener if it helps. If the person has impaired vision, then use thick marker pen, black on a white page, for improved clarity. Another useful tip is not to use capital letters, as this is the written equivalent of shouting.

A Comfortable Environment

Consider if the room in which the person spends most time is helping or hindering their hearing. For example, on wooden flooring the clatter of shoes adds background noise. Consider adding rugs or carpeting the room in order to deaden sounds competing for attention. Likewise at the dinner table, the clatter of cutlery on the table top can make conversation difficult, so consider a padded tablecloth.

Try to make sure the walls and curtains are not too ‘busy’ with patterns or bold colors. Again, these act as a distraction to the eye, which is not great for someone who needs to focus their attention on the speaker’s face.

For extra tips, remember the great resource that is your audiologist. They are there to assist with all types of hearing needs and welcome the chance to help.