Q: How can I make family gatherings more enjoyable for family members who have hearing difficulty?

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A: The family is gathered for Thanksgiving dinner. Young and old are laughing, sharing fond memories and catching up on the latest. It is a warm, joyful scene – unless you notice Uncle Bob. He’s smiling weakly, nodding occasionally, but not participating in the conversation because of his hearing difficulty.

Scenes like this play out in many families during the holiday season. Hearing difficulty can lead to isolation and depression – the opposite of what family gatherings and celebrations at this time of year are meant to encourage. Whether you have a family member with hearing difficulty, or you have hearing difficulty yourself, here are some ways to help make this holiday season more joyful.

The Environment

1. Reduce background noise. If you can’t avoid having music playing or a television on, try to keep the volume down. If there is noisy conversation going on, there may be times when you can speak to an individual in an area away from the group.

2. Have adequate lighting. Good lighting will make it easier to see facial expressions.

For the Speaker

1. Speak slower. Research indicates that comprehension can increase by as much as 40% when speech is slightly slower than normal.

2. Rephrase, don’t repeat. If the listener asks you to repeat yourself, rephrase what you said rather than saying it the same way.

3. Get the listener’s attention before you start to speak.

4. Use gestures and facial expressions to reinforce your message.

5. Follow your mother’s advice: don’t speak with your mouth full!

6. Pause to ask questions that will verify the listener is following you.

7. Don’t change the topic without making sure the listener knows.

For the Listener

1. Pay attention. This may sound obvious but it is important to remember that the more you concentrate on what the speaker is saying, the more successful you are likely to be.

2. Provide feedback to the speaker to let them know that you understand or don’t understand what they are saying.

3. Take breaks. The effort of concentrating on the conversation as much as you need to for maximum comprehension can be exhausting. If you take occasional breaks you will be better able to focus.

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