The holidays are right around the corner, and we’re all excited to spend some time with family and friends. But this year the holidays might look a bit different than we’re used to. Some of your holiday gatherings might happen online, and you may not see as many people in person. If you have a loved one with hearing loss, here are some ways you can help them enjoy the holiday season.
Schedule a Hearing Test
Does your loved one have hearing loss? The first step to better hearing is to get a hearing test. Offer to go to the hearing test with your loved one, and encourage them to take this step for their hearing health. Hearing tests are easy and completely non-invasive. At My Hearing Centers, we’ll ask you and your loved one a few questions about their overall health and their hearing health. We’ll also ask about their lifestyle and hearing needs so we can find the perfect devices.
Check Their Hearing Aids
Does your loved one already wear hearing aids? That’s great! Before the holidays, it’s the perfect time to make sure their hearing aids are in good shape. If they haven’t been serviced recently, now is the time to bring the hearing aids into the office and let us take a look at the devices. We’ll do a general cleaning and servicing to make sure your loved one is hearing clearly. Most small repairs can be done in the office, and your loved one can get their devices adjusted in just a few minutes.
Hearing Aids for Connectivity
Does your loved one have hearing aids with connectivity features? Some of our holiday favorites are hearing aids that can wirelessly connect to the phone, computer, TV, or any other Bluetooth enabled device. These hearing aids will let your loved one stream audio right to their ears, so they won’t have to strain to hear what’s being said!
Give the Gift of Hearing
One way to spread the love this holiday season is by giving your loved one an assisted listening device (ALD) to help them hear on the phone or on a video call. You can easily find an ALD that connects their hearing aids to their phone. These assistive listening devices will plug into the phone or computer, and stream all the audio right to their hearing aids. Give the gift of hearing, and make sure the ALD arrives before the holidays.
Tips for Online Gatherings
Online holiday gatherings can be tough for everyone. It’s not how we’re used to spending the holidays, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have wonderful online gatherings. Are you meeting with friends or family online this year? Try these tips to help your loved ones with hearing loss:
- Set up your computer in a place with lots of light so it’s easy to see everyone’s faces. Your loved one with hearing loss relies on visual cues and facial expressions to keep up with the conversation.
- Turn on closed captioning so that everyone can read what’s being said.
- Encourage your loved one to wear earbuds or headphones to improve the sound quality.
- Turn off any distracting sounds in the house like the radio or TV. The quieter it is, the easier it will be for your loved one to hear you.
- Remind your loved ones to speak one at a time so that it’s easy to focus on one person at a time.
- Speak clearly and don’t shout! Yelling can distort the sound and make it even harder for your loved one to follow the conversation.
- Repeat or rephrase what’s been said so that your loved one with hearing loss can keep up with the conversation.
Make sure the whole family knows these tips for online communication before getting on the call.
Treat Your Hearing Loss with Us
This holiday season, you can help your loved one with hearing loss enjoy each and every day with great hearing. You can encourage them to get a hearing test, help them service their hearing aids, or even give them a great assistive listening device to help them hear. Whether you’re celebrating the holidays online or in person, we will help you enjoy the holidays with great hearing.