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Be
patient. Remember that a person who is beginning to suffer hearing loss
is like a
child beginning to talk, to listen, and to understand. All the
conditions of
communication are changing.
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Accept
reality. It changes both of your lives and introduces new elements in
your
relationship. It isn't going to go away. Reconcile yourself to the fact
of your loved
one's loss as you would to the loss of a child's arm. It doesn't change
your loved one,
the one you have learned to live with.
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Speak slowly. Consider what it's like for you when
you listen to a newscaster on
television
who rushes through lines, especially when statistics are being
quoted.
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Don't shout. It doesn't help, and it may give the
impression that you're angry. Learn to
speak distinctly. Careful enunciation is a
useful habit to cultivate anyway.
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You may recall the famous line in a Broadway play
"You know I can't hear you when
the water's running." Adapt it to include: while the television
is on,
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Have a heart. Hearing loss is
worse for the afflicted person than for anyone else.
Consider that you may also have to learn to live with your own
hearing loss someday.
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A Person
Who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing's Top Tips
for EffectiveCommunication*
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Face me when you talk to me. Otherwise
I need to keep moving, following you
to get
the
whole message. If you need to leave the room, wait until we're
together
again to continue.
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Don't shout. It distorts the words. My hearing aid
does the amplifying. But don't
drop your
voice as you reach the end of a sentence.
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Don't exaggerate your enunciation. It makes you look
different, and you are harder to
understand. Sometimes you look funny, and I try
not to laugh.
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*Adapted from How to Survive Hearing Loss
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