We all want to hear our loved ones while celebrating the holidays. However, this can be challenging when sitting at a noisy dining table.
Here are a few tips to follow when deciding where you should sit at a dining table in order to get the best hearing possible:
Try to sit with your back to the wall to reduce background noise
Make sure any windows are covered to increase sound dampening
Make sure the room has ample lighting so you can see everyone clearly
Sit away from the children's table to reduce ambient noise
Make sure music and television audio is at a moderate volume
Ask your friends and family to face you when speaking at the dining table
Be upfront about your hearing loss. This will remind people of using good communication strategies, so if they want to speak with you, their face or mouth is not covered
While wearing hearing aids you can also place a remote microphone at the center of the table if you are having difficulty
The key to good communication with someone that is hard of hearing is to not talk louder, but to speak slowly and clearly
Happy Holidays!