Tips for Better Hearing This Holiday Season

During the holidays we spend time catching up with friends and family, attending social events, and preparing for a relaxing Christmas break. It's an exciting time of year but can be more challenging if you or your loved ones are affected by hearing loss.

Whether you’re hosting or attending any social gatherings in the coming weeks, it’s important to consider how you can make it a comfortable environment for everyone.

If you’re hosting, there’s a few ways you can make sure everyone at your event has an enjoyable time:

• Consider using round tables as these allow everyone to see each other clearly.

• Lower the volume of any background music to make conversations easier.

• Add additional lighting if the room is too dark - whether we realise it or not, we often rely on lip read to confirm what we hear.

• Be mindful of decorations and place settings and try not to place objects in people's sight lines. If everyone can see each other clearly it makes for much easier conversations.

If you’re attending any parties or dinners this holiday season, there’s a few things you can do to make the event as pleasant as possible:

• Position yourself where you can clearly see everyone, and they can see you. Being able to see a person’s face during a conversation will make it much easier to follow along.

• If you have hearing loss, consider letting the host know ahead of time as they may be able to make accommodations for you.

• If you're struggling to hear, try and move to a quieter area for conversations one-to-one or in smaller groups.