5 Tips for Enjoying Social Events This Holiday Season

Check out our tips for enjoying social events with hearing implants.

1. Make Preparations

Prior to attending an event, do some research about the venue, and try to identify potential difficult listening situations. It’s helpful to bring along spare batteries for your audio processors as well as your trusted Assistive Listening Devices. Here are some things to consider:

• Will you expect high levels of background noise or reverberation?
• Will there be a band or music playing?
• What are the venue’s lighting, environment, and sound system like?
• Which party guests do you know?
• What are some expected topics of conversation?
• Do you need to arrive early to find a seat where you can hear optimally?
• If there is a performance, can you familiarize yourself with the storyline beforehand?

2. Be Your Own Assertive Self-Advocate

Most people won’t mind doing things to help you hear better, but it’s up to you to tell them what these things are.

Ask for clarification:

• Non-specific requests include saying, “What was that?” or “I didn’t hear you” or “I didn’t quite get that.”
• Specific request examples include saying, “Please speak a bit louder” or “Could you slow down please?” or “Please face me when you’re speaking.”

Use context:

• Focus on the topic of the conversation and general context so you can fill in missed words more easily. And ask the speaker to confirm you have understood correctly by asking questions like, “You said you went to Greece for your vacation, right?” or “You’re talking about university, but I keep missing that last part about your thesis—could you say it in a different way for me?”

Face the person:

• Observe facial expressions, eye gaze, and gestures. Our nonverbal cues give meaning to our speech.

Be kind to yourself:

• Most people struggle to hear everything in noisy situations, and when many people are speaking in the background, that makes listening even more difficult. Recognize that it’s perfectly normal to miss words or parts of conversations. Don’t be hard on yourself if you need to ask for repetitions or clarifications.

3. Manage Background Noise

• Move to a quieter place to have a conversation.
• Turn off unnecessary sound sources, if possible.
• Stand away from windows.
• Stand closer to the person speaking.
• If any information is important, ask for it to be written down.
• Ask the venue in advance if they can supply a microphone for speeches.

4. Use Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)

ALDs are accessories that assist with listening from a distance. They capture sound at its source by connecting, for example, to a wireless microphone worn by a speaker and sending the sound directly to your audio processor.

A room’s acoustics, as well as people having conversations nearby, can make it challenging to hear clearly if you only use your audio processor’s built-in microphone. If there are people giving speeches or there is a singer, it might be helpful to show them how and why to use the ALD microphone (with prior notice).

MED-EL has various connectivity options for use with your phone, television, and for listening in busy settings.

5. Take Listening Breaks

Listening fatigue is a common experience for hearing device users. Concentration is important—but tiring. Don’t be afraid of taking regular breaks, and if you return to a group conversation, just ask someone to sum up the main parts of what was said while you were away. A few more tips about listening fatigue can be found here.

Hearing loss affects people in different ways. The important thing is to figure out what works for you. Think outside the box, and don’t be afraid to explain to others what you need.