Caring for aging adults, whether your parents or, if you’re a home health care worker, your patients, is a complex but rewarding job. If the person you care for has hearing loss, that job can get even more complicated.
Nearly half of the people over 75 have difficulty hearing. Let’s take a look at a few essential communication strategies you can use when caring for someone with hearing loss.
1. Get Their Attention Before Speaking
Before you start speaking, gently get the person’s attention. Say their name, touch their arm or make eye contact. This simple step allows them to focus and prepare to listen, especially in noisy environments like busy El Paso restaurants.
2. Rephrase Your Speech
If your patient or parent doesn’t hear you correctly, try rephrasing or adding context to your words. Many with hearing loss struggle to understand specific sounds, so simply repeating may not improve clarity.
3. Don’t Shout
When you raise your voice, the person you’re speaking to is more likely to read it as anger than an attempt to communicate. Instead, speak at a natural pace with clear enunciation.
4. Reduce Background Noise
Turn off the TV or radio during conversations. Background noise makes distinguishing speech more difficult for someone with hearing loss.
5. Be Patient and Positive
It’s hard to feel like you can’t do something that used to come easily. Your parent or patient may lash out occasionally or accuse you of mumbling. Be patient with misunderstandings and never make them feel like a burden. Encouraging an open, respectful dialogue fosters emotional well-being and trust.
6. Avoid Elderspeak
Elderspeak is an oversimplified form of speech used with older adults, similar to how one would speak to a young child. It’s common in health care settings, but can also happen between children and their aging parents.
When someone has hearing loss, the risk of dipping into elderspeak when talking to them increases. While slowing your speech or using smaller words may feel useful, elderspeak is more likely to be read as condescending than helpful. Remember that hearing loss has nothing to do with a person’s intelligence or capabilities. Prioritize respect and ensure you aren’t taking away your patient’s or parent’s agency.
Hearing loss doesn’t have to put an end to positive communication. Contact Tinnitus & Hearing Experts today for more information on addressing hearing loss.