A sharing experience for new hearing aid users (& family / friends) 

Action for Deafness is proud to offer a unique training opportunity to all new hearing aid users and their family and friends. Patients are invited to attend a practical course which gives insight into how hearing aids work, what they can achieve and examples of situations where they may be less helpful. The facilitator will explain AFD’s guidelines for communication which, instead of focussing on what hearing people ought to be doing, look at communication from the hard of hearing person’s perspective – what sort of things they can do to improve communication.

Topics covered include: when hearing aids are most effective and when they are less helpful, changing from programme to programme, what is a hearing loop?, using a hearing loop, coping with tinnitus, the different parts of the ear and how they are affected by hearing loss.

The course has been well received and patients report that they feel more confident afterwards. If communication is a challenge in your family or workplace then contact us about our communication tactics courses.

Places are FREE of charge but booking is required.

For dates and booking your place onto the course, please email: info@actionfordeafness.org.uk or call 01444 415582

Here are some tips that are useful to help improve communication:

1. Attract the person’s attention before you begin to speak.
2. Avoid speaking from another room, or with your head in a cupboard.
3. Try to avoid holding a conversation in a noisy environment.
4. Keep your face visible and well lit. Do not stand with the light or a window behind you.
5. Do not hide your lip movements.
6. Keep you head fairly still when speaking and do not look away.
7. DO NOT SHOUT; speak clearly and not too fast.
   - Shouting and over mouthing will alter your lip pattern (and will exhaust you!)
   - Speaking too slowly, ..one  ..word.. at.. a .. time, will destroy the natural rhythm of  your speech.
8. Repeat the sentence again if necessary, then try to rephrase.
9. Write down important facts, times, dates, names, places, instructions.
10. Remember, a Hearing Aid will amplify ALL background noise and your speech can get lost.
11. Be calm and very patient.
12. Your facial expression should reflect what you are saying… so:

       SMILE - Do you know how cross you look when you are concentrating?

We have made a print out for all these tips - click here to see