Get The Most From Your Hearing Aid

Communication Strategies and Best Practices

Most importantly - wear your hearing aids. Without making yourself uncomfortable in the adjustment process, build up to wearing the hearing aids all day. This will give your brain consistency in all the auditory information it receives.

Helpful Communication TipsSt. Clair Michigan Hearing Aids

  • Be patient
  • Gain the listener's attention before speaking
  • Rephrase and enunciate versus repeating
  • Look at the person you are speaking to and keep objects (hand, cigarettes, etc) away from your mouth when speaking
  • Turn off or mute audio devices that add background noise (television, radio, etc)
  • Have your conversation in the same room as your listener
  • Position yourself with light on your face to enable the listener to gain speech reading cues from your face
  • Use written message when unable to verbally communicate your message

How Do I Get The Most Benefit From My Hearing Aids?

  • Again - wear them. Without making yourself uncomfortable in the adjustment process, build up to wearing the hearing aids all day. This will give your brain consistency in all the auditory information it receives.
  • Do not try and have a conversation from another room. Eye contact is just as important as it ever was and sound does not travel through walls or around corners well.
  • When you are listening in noise, face the speaker you want to ear and position the majority of the noise behind you. In a restaurant booths are more helpful than tables to reduce unwanted sounds, conduct your conversations off to the side when in a noisy environment
  • When attending religious gatherings, lectures, plays, etc sit as close to the front as possible. This will give you better visual cues and provide you with less reverberating sounds (echoes)
  • Ask the person speaking to rephrase what they have said if you do not fully understand.
  • Practice assertive communication skills and let people you know you have a hearing loss.
  • Having patience goes a long way. Try to remember that no one hears everything correctly all the time.