You may feel unsure of how to communicate clearly with a person who has hearing loss.

There are many thi​ngs you can do to make communication easier so you understand each other.

Be patient

• Ask the person with hearing loss if there’s anything you can do to help them understand what you’re saying.
• Give the person time to practise using their hearing aids. Hearing aids are helpful, but the person may still need other support to understand what you’re communicating.
• Be supportive. The person may have more trouble understanding if they’re frustrated.

Help the person get the message

• Say the person’s name or touch their arm gently before you start talking.
• Tell the person what you’re going to talk about and if the topic changes.
• Talk at an average speed, at a volume that is loud enough to be heard. You don’t need to shout.
• Move things away from your face before talking, like a pen, a book, your hands, or a cigarette. The listener may have trouble lip-reading (understanding speech by how your lips and face move) if you chew gum or have a beard or moustache.
• Change the words or repeat the message if the person doesn’t understand.
• Be expressive and use gestures. Your body language gives clues about what you’re saying.

Choose a good place to communicate

• Move close to the person when you speak. The best distance for communication is about 1 metre (3 to 4 feet).
• Move to the same room and get their attention before you start talking.
• Sit or stand across from the person and look at them when you talk.
• Find a bright place to talk. Communication is easier in bright lighting where people can see your face easily.

Lower the noise level

• Turn off or move away from things that make noise—such as the TV, fan, or open windows—before talking to someone.
• Sound bounces off hard surfaces and creates echoes, making speech harder to hear. In your home, you can use carpet instead of smooth, hard floors. Use upholstered furniture instead of wood. Put wallpaper or pictures on the walls. When possible, use curtains on the windows in your home.

When it’s harder to communicate

• Listening can be hard in large groups. Talk to people in small groups and try to have only one person talk at a time. Let the person with hearing loss know what you’re talking about and if the topic changes.

• Choose bright, quiet restaurants.
• Go to restaurants when they’re less likely to be busy and noisy.
• Try not to sit close to noisy areas like the kitchen, lounge, bathrooms, or front door.
• Ask for a high-backed booth or a table along a side wall.
• Let the person with hearing loss sit in the seat where the background noise will be behind them, when possible.
• Sit across from the person instead of beside them.

• It’s often hard for a person with hearing loss to hear over the phone. Speak clearly at a regular volume.
• Have a good connection. Phones with poor sound quality or a bad connection make it very hard to hear.
• Tell the person your name when they answer the phone and when you change the topic.

Where to get help

For more information about how audiologists can help, go to Adult Community Rehabilitation or contact a private practice audiology clinic.​​