Philadelphia Caregiver Tips for Communicating with those Hard of Hearing

Posted Apr 4, 2014 by PHC | Uncategorized

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is hard of hearing and only become frustrated halfway through because no matter what you try they do not hear you? Our elderly caregivers in Phildelphia take care of several elderly clients who are hard of hearing and we can find it difficult to speak to them sometimes. The problem even becomes compounded when you are talking with them over the phone. Approximately 33% of adults older than 65 experience hearing loss and the percentage increases as we age. Below is a few tips to improve your communication skills with those heard of hearing.

Tips

• Speak slowly and clearly
• You don’t have to shout it actually makes matters worse
• Check their hearing aids or if they don’t have them consider seeing a hearing specialist
• Eliminate all background noise such as TV’s or appliances.
• Try to speaking in front of the individual