Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Advocate for Your Hearing Health

2018; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 71; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/01.hj.0000532401.13677.d5

2333-6218

Beverly Zwahlen,

Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare

Self-advocacy to improve one's hearing and comprehension is not always easy for people with hearing loss. But, with practice, you can effectively communicate your hearing and listening needs to those around you. 1. Self-advocacy begins with self-knowledge. First, understand your listening strengths, needs, and interests. Even with hearing aids (HA) or cochlear implants (CI), you may find yourself in situations where you'll need additional assistance to better hear and understand speech (e.g., face-to-face meetings in noisy settings, use of landlines/mobile phones, using safety devices like smoke and fire alarms, watching TV). If you require help to understand your needs, ask your hearing care provider to conduct a needs assessment. 2. Use Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT). If you need additional hearing assistance beyond your HA or CI, there are other options. Bluetooth accessories and hearing loops provide direct audio streaming to your HA or CI from TVs, phones, theaters, airports, etc. Closed-caption phones, apps, and alerting devices are also available—many at no cost to qualified individuals. Learn about HAT by asking your hearing care provider and joining a hearing support group in person or online. People with hearing loss are eager to share their knowledge and experience. 3. Don't try to hide your hearing loss. Acknowledge your hearing loss so people will be more likely to look at you directly and speak clearly when addressing you. If your conversation partner knows that you have hearing difficulties, there may be fewer misunderstandings. 4. Effectively and assertively communicate your needs and preferences. Using effective strategies, you can modify behaviors and work toward improving your lines of communication. Consider these examples: Avoid saying “Huh?” or “What did you say?” when you heard at least part of what someone was saying. Instead, say something like, “I know you are talking about a new movie, but I did not catch the title.” This will help the person know what you did not hear clearly. Practice analyzing why you experience difficulties with a particular speaker, then make specific polite requests. Did the person turn away from you while talking? Use a specific request such as “Please face toward me when you speak. I lip-read” instead of saying “I didn't hear you.” Is the person talking with their hand over their mouth? Say “Could you please put your hand down? I lip-read,” instead of “I can't make out what you're saying.” Does the person speak too fast? Ask the person to “Please slow down a bit so my ears can keep up with what you are saying.” Verify what you think you heard. Be willing to ask questions when something is unclear or you need clarification. Use positive words when you need help understanding. Say “Could you please speak a bit louder?” instead of “You're going to have to speak louder if you want me to understand you.” Politely let people know what you need to make the conversation flow more easily. At a group meeting, suggest that only one person talk at a time. When in a conference call, suggest that each participant identify himself or herself when he or she speaks. 5. Be prepared! Anticipate difficult listening situations and plan ahead. Example: Dining out with friends? Suggest going at a time when the restaurant is not likely to be too busy. Suggest a place that you know is relatively quiet. Familiarize yourself with the restaurant's menu that can often be found online. Arrive early and pick a seat furthest from the noisy kitchen and position yourself to best understand conversation. Bring any hearing assistive devices that you may need Example: Attending a meeting with a large group? Arrive early and sit where you have the best line of sight of most attendees and with least glare. Remove chairs that are not needed. Bring hearing assistive devices and test first. Ask for a facilitator and scribe. 6. Listen with your eyes, not just your ears! Look at the speaker's face, particularly their lips. The speaker's facial expressions and body language may also help you understand what is being said. 7. It's ok to break the rules. Picture this: You are waiting at an airport boarding gate, and after a loudspeaker announcement that you couldn't understand, half the people waiting with you start running to another gate. Go to the head of the line and say: “Excuse me, I don't mean to break into the line, but I could not hear the announcement and wonder if you could repeat it for me so I don't miss my flight.” 8. Be patient with yourself and with others. Don't blame yourself or others for your difficulties. Keep trying these tips and stay positive, even when the going gets tough.Beverly Zwahlen