Strategies to Improve Communication
Let others know that you have some hearing loss. Tell them what they can do to improve communication.
- Make sure you face the person directly. Ask them to speak slowly and clearly.
- Use face and lip reading while watching a person’s movements to understand what they’re saying.
- Ask the person to write or type the information. Text messaging and e-mail can be helpful.
If in a hospital, be sure to use needed hearing aids because poor hearing can contribute to confusion and lack of understanding.
Communicating with a Hearing-Impaired Person
Some tips for improving communication with people who have hearing loss are:
- Ask the person about their preferred way to communicate
- Get the person’s attention before speaking
- Eliminate background noise and distractions when possible
- Make sure the listener can see your lips
- Mask use during COVID-19 has increased problems for people who read people’s faces and lips when talking
- Use of clear face masks can help
- Speak slowly and clearly, but don’t shout
- Speak towards the person’s ear that has better hearing
- Rephrase your comment if the listener doesn’t understand the first time
- Speak in complete sentences. Single words are hard to lip-read because the listener often relies on context.
- If a reply doesn’t make sense, make sure that the person knows the topic of conversation
- Spell words out, use gestures, or write or type the information
- Have the listener repeat back what they heard, to avoid misunderstandings
Last Updated May 2023