1300 847 395
1300 847 395
Donate Book an Appointment

Practical ways to help someone

For those who are provided with hearing devices, itʼs important to show patience and support while they get used to their devices. Encourage them to regularly use their hearing device so they become comfortable with it.
content-tabs-1

Communication Strategies

Helping someone with hearing loss means using effective communicati on strategies, understandin g the impact of hearing loss and encouraging professional advice. It is important to be aware of communication strategies such as facial cues, reducing background noise and adapting the environment for improved communicati on. Combining communication strategies with hearing devices, gives the best opportunity to maximise speech understanding, especially in a difficult environment with background noise and poor acoustics.
content-tabs-1

Understanding the Impact of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can lead to loneliness, frustration, fatigue and feelings of isolation and depression. Understanding the social, emotional and cognitive impacts can help you better support a person with hearing loss.
content-tabs-1

Encourage Professional

Help Itʼs important that people experiencing hearing difficulties are properly assessed and receive professional advice. An appointment with their GP is a good place to start.

Find your nearest clinic

We are dedicated to helping people with ear and hearing disorders through research, education, prevention and treatment.

Tips

Minimise background noise

Try to minimise the surrounding noise while having conversations. Switch off the TV, radio or other controllable noises.

Draw their attention

Drawing attention, e.g. by calling a personʼs name, directs their attention to you. Doing this before you start speaking gives them a better chance to hear the whole message and benefit from context cues. It also encourages the use of facial cues.

Consider the environment

Choose somewhere well-lit, so your face and gestures are clearly visible. Look for soft furnishings, such as carpets or rugs. Rooms with lots of hard surfaces allow the sounds to bounce around and make hearing more difficult. Consider moving to a quieter area, when in a restaurant or café.

Aim for face to face conversations

Observing peopleʼs lips move helps to fill in missed sounds. Moving into a well-lit space and directly facing the person helps them put together words they might have missed. Drawing attention by saying their name first, will direct their attention to you. Doing this before you start speaking gives them a better opportunity to hear the whole message and benefit from facial and contextual cues.

Close the distance

Avoid speaking from another room. Where possible, move into the same room before engaging in conversation.

Find your Nearest Clinic

View all Clinics
What’s Next?

Get Diagnosed

Explain in one or two concise sentences how your solution transforms users' challenges into positive outcomes. Focus on the end benefits that matter most to your target audience. Keep it clear and compelling.

Online hearing check

Shortly describe how this feature solves a specific user problem. Focus on user’s benefits not on technical details.
Learn More
statistics-image

Visit us in person

Shortly describe how this feature solves a specific user problem. Focus on user’s benefits not on technical details.
Learn More
pathways-2