It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and we want you hearing your best! Our team has put together tips for many of the most common holiday season activities, from family gatherings to music performances and more.
Hearing Your Best at… Social Gatherings
Getting together with loved ones is a highlight of the holiday season for many. If you or someone in your group has hearing loss, a few thoughtful adjustments can make the experience better for everyone.
- Choose a quieter location. The best spaces for hearing each other well are soft — in more ways than one! Reduce background noise, like music or TVs, and choose rooms with carpet, drapes or other fabric that absorb extra sounds. If you’re going to a restaurant, try off-peak times or ask to be seated in a quieter part of the room.
- Seat people with hearing loss where they can see their conversation partners. Visual cues like facial expressions and lip movements can help enhance your understanding.
- Ask for clarification. If you don’t catch what someone says the first time, it’s ok to ask them to repeat it or say it a different way. Speaking more slowly also allows someone with hearing loss to have time to process what they heard.
Read more about hearing well at social gatherings.
Hearing Your Best at… Live Performances and Events
A Christmas Carol, the Nutcracker, Handel’s Messiah — there are so many wonderful options for taking in a show during the holidays. Many venues, like theaters, music halls and event spaces, have accessibility features for people with hearing loss.
These can include:
- Hearing assistive technology, such as assistive listening systems that deliver sound directly to a hearing aid, cochlear implant or headphones.
- Reserved seating for people with disabilities and their companions.
- Closed captioning devices.
- Sitting close to stage or nearest to sound system if you have a choice.
Contact the venue well in advance of the event to find out what accommodations they offer and make arrangements for the performance you’re attending.
Read more about hearing well at live performances and events.
Hearing Your Best while… Watching TV
While going out can be exciting and fun, sometimes a cozy night in with a holiday movie is just the ticket. But while TV screen sizes have gotten bigger and better, the speakers on newer televisions have not yet caught up in quality.
For better TV viewing and listening:
- Turn on closed captioning. Most cable, satellite and streaming services offer closed captioning for their programming. Check the “Accessibility” section of the settings menu for closed captioning (CC) options.
- Add an external sound system or soundbar to your television. These improve the overall quality of the sound. They also project the sound out into the room rather than into the wall, which is what happens with most built-in speakers on flatscreen TVs.
- If you wear hearing aids, look into a TV streaming device from your hearing aid company. Many hearing aid manufacturers (including Widex, Phonak, ReSound, Oticon, Starkey, Signia and Relate) offer a gadget that will allow your hearing aids to directly receive the sound from your television. Other viewers can still hear the sound through the speakers, so no more arguing over the volume!
Read more about hearing while watching TV.
There’s one tip that applies, no matter where you are:
Wear your hearing aids. Make sure they are fully charged or you have extra batteries. Some prescription hearing aids even have different settings for various environments, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
If you don’t wear hearing aids but have concerns about hearing for yourself or a loved one, contact Associated Audiologists today to make an appointment with one of our doctoral-level audiologists.
Have a happy, healthy holiday season!
