listening skills Archives - Cubex
Communication tips for the festive season
On 06, Dec 2018 | In Arts & Lifestyle | By Rosie Williams
During the festive season, people tend to find themselves in busy, noisy and distracting environments more often than they might throughout the rest of the year. This can be quite overwhelming or stressful for someone experiencing hearing loss so we have some useful tips to make those events and occasions enjoyable for everyone.
Setting the dinner table
Setting the dinner table
If you have a hearing loss, or are hosting a dinner party with a guest who has hearing loss, you’ll want to make sure the table arrangements are suitable for everyone.
This might mean ensuring those with hearing loss are placed further away from the kitchen or music speakers. It may be that someone has a stronger side and would rather sit with the majority of people on one side so make sure that is arranged early on.
Sight plays a big role in communicating clearly so making sure people have a clear view of everyones faces so they can clearly see if someone is talking to them and clearly see their facial expressions.
Setting the atmosphere
Setting the atmosphere
Background noise itself can cause a problem for those experiencing hearing loss, especially because people tend to speak even louder when there is some background noise. Try to reduce noise by lowering music volume, avoiding plate and pan clattering and if possible, spreading people out so they aren’t all shouting over each other in one place.
Utilising sight for better communication
Utilising sight for better communication
Sight is really important to those with hearing loss, particularly because many hearing aids are directional and may not pick up on someone speaking nearby unless they are facing the direction of the person.
Being able to see peoples faces makes it easier to recognise when someone is speaking, as well as reading facial expressions, lips and body language. Ensure the lighting is not too dark and remove any table obstructions (such as candles) so everyone can clearly see everyone elses face on the table.
Don’t be afraid to ask
Don’t be afraid to ask
It’s best for everyone if you can let people know you have a hearing loss and how they can best help you in noisy environments. If you are unable to do that, you could let the host of the event know so that the environment can be adapted to suit you.
Don’t be afraid to ask someone to speak up, or to ask for the background noise to be turned down.
Learn more
Learn more
To get more tips on communication throughout the festive season, you can read the full guide from Oticon here.
Want to check your hearing? Take our free online hearing test.
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Speak to an Audiologist
If you would like some advice or would like to have your hearing tested by an Audiologist, get in touch with us at Cubex to arrange an appointment.
Speak to an Audiologist >
Researchers use pupillometry to measure listening effort for the first time
On 22, Feb 2017 | In Professional News | By Rosie Williams
Oticon and the Eriksholm Research Centre have been able to measure the level of stress someone experiences when hearing in noisy environments using Pupillometry. Listening in a noisy room can be difficult for everyone and a bigger problem for those with hearing loss. The ability to measure cognitive load in different environments could improve the lives of millions of people with hearing loss.
Study reveals ‘severity’ of tinnitus can be related to emotional processing
On 25, May 2016 | In Tinnitus | By Jerusha Shulberg
A recent study at the University of Illinois has looked further into the experience of tinnitus starting with the brain, looking more closely into how the brain processes emotions in two groups of people – those with tinnitus and those without.
Responding naturally with less mental effort
Alta is built on Oticon’s powerful new Inium sound processing platform. Inium’s extended working memory facilitates power-efficient wireless binaural processing that enables the exchange of vital sound information between both ears for a more natural, authentic sound experience.
