The holidays are full of friends and family. Leaving people out because their hearing isn’t what it used to be can be done so easily. Watch the video below to learn some different techniques on how to better host a holiday party or family gathering.
Click on the photo below for Dr. Amy White’s useful tips.
“Hi, I’m Doctor Amy White, and today I’m going to talk to you about tips and ways to make your home more inviting for your holiday guests who might have hearing impairment. Lots of us invite our friends and family over to enjoy these great holiday parties, but a lot of times we don’t think about how those with hearing loss may be affected by our own homes. Here are some tricks and tips to make it easier on those with hearing loss to communicate effectively and easily at your house.
#1 – Kill the music. I know that music really helps give a great mood for holiday parties, but having that at a soft volume or produced in a room that maybe isn’t going to be used for people to congregate and talk to in will help quite a bit. Music can really interfere, especially when it’s loud if someone is trying to hear conversation better.
#2 – Consider using lots of cloth, tablecloths and napkins. Reflective surfaces in our homes such as hard table tops, hard chairs, hard floors create a lot of reverberation and echo, which makes it really hard to hear and makes the noise much louder.
#3 – Good lighting. I know we all like mood lighting, eating by candlelight seems really great and gives it the festive mood; however, bright, well-lit rooms are going to help the person with hearing loss be able to see everyone’s face better, which in turn helps them hear better.
#4 – Consider your table arrangements. Rather than having one long table with 20 people at it, in which case the person with hearing loss is going to have a very difficult time hearing anyone more than a couple of people away, consider having smaller table groups, maybe rounds of four or six together in different locations as opposed to one long table, that will go a long way to help them be more involved in the conversation.
Employing these strategies is going to make people with hearing loss be that much more comfortable in your home. Consider using them and think about the loved ones and friends you have that may benefit. Any other questions or other concerns and would like to know more about these strategies? Contact us at Elk Grove Hearing Care.”