The end of the year is full of holidays — occasions for family and friends to gather, reminisce and share their hopes for the coming 12 months. But as we gather this year, it’s important to understand that some of the people we celebrate with need to do a little more work to enjoy the company they have. This is because chances are someone in the group is experiencing hearing loss.
It depends on the concentration of your holiday, but statistically speaking, half of the grandparents and great-grandparents have significant hearing loss. So does about one in 10 aunts, uncles or adult friends aged 55 to 64. Additionally, we know that among adults who are exposed to loud noise—at work or in everyday life—about one in five have difficulty hearing speech. This can be a real barrier to enjoying the holidays when all we want to do is connect and share the joys of life.
If you’re hosting this season, remember that you can create a pleasant holiday environment while maintaining a good listening environment. Here are some tips:
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Pay attention to the lighting
Good lighting makes it easier for people with hearing loss to see people clearly when they are speaking and to recognize facial cues about what they are saying. Candles, colored lights and atmosphere are alluring at the holidays, but they can hinder communication.
Remember the noise
Hearing loss often manifests as a struggle to understand conversations in the presence of noise. You don’t have to eliminate the background sound, but maybe keep the holiday music or games on the TV at a lower volume with the closed captions on. Chances are, everyone will appreciate it.
Plan a quiet, festive retreat
Anticipating festive noise, create a warm, quiet room where people with hearing loss can comfortably gather with friends and family. It’s not always possible to completely reduce the noise when everyone gathers, but having at least one place where people can go to unwind from the party can help reduce listening fatigue. And if that one friend or relative wants to sleep in a comfy chair after a big meal, so much the better.
Facilitate easier conversations
When it comes to holiday meals, seat people with hearing loss where they are most likely to have the best experience. A middle seat at the table (at home or in a restaurant), for example, can make it easier for them to hear everyone around them and join the conversation. If possible, place them with their backs against a wall to minimize background noise behind them.
It can also help to designate someone as a “hearing helper” for your family with hearing loss. If the conversation at the table jumps around and gets complicated, that person can help their loved one by repeating important talking points so no one is left behind.
It may take a little extra forethought, but try to structure conversations so that people talk one-on-one (perhaps taking turns sharing what they are grateful for this time of year) so that those with hearing loss can focus on what everyone says.
In addition, many celebrations have ended up involving online video calling. Just remember, such virtual gatherings can be especially difficult for those with hearing loss. Check if the software you are using can automatically generate subtitles.
Healthier hearing amid the sounds of the holidays
If you or someone you love is dealing with hearing loss, be open about it during the holidays and take steps to maximize your experience. Find that perfect seat where you can better hear all your friends and family. Invite people to join you in a quieter room to share stories and catch up. And don’t be afraid to ask people to repeat themselves if you can’t understand what they’re saying. No defense is more effective than self-advocacy.
Most importantly, if you haven’t already, take advantage of modern hearing aid technology, which has come a long way over the past several years. Visit an audiologist, like many in the HearUSA network, to learn how hearing aids have evolved. What was once simply a means of amplifying sound has evolved to include intelligent systems that can process cacophonous listening environments and optimize human connection.
This is important because clear communication during the holidays is good for our overall well-being, and healthy hearing is a big part of that. We know that people with hearing loss tend to withdraw from social situations, a reaction that has been shown to affect cognitive health. And the last thing anyone wants during the holidays is social isolation.
Holiday gatherings are for group discussion. For as long as we’ve understood hearing loss, group conversation has been a challenge, but as technology advances, people with hearing loss are getting closer to easy communication, which can make the holidays an effortlessly good time.
New hearing aids make gatherings more enjoyable
In recent years, hearing aid manufacturers have made great strides in addressing so-called focused hearing, which is the ability to receive and enhance the voice of a partner (usually the one in front of you) while reducing background noise. However, holiday gatherings usually include many companions who are in many different directions, so there is a need to expand the capabilities of hearing aids to take groups into account.
There are many approaches to addressing this great need. For example, the hearing aid company Signia, which is a sister company to HearUSA, began by developing split processing, which enables a class of hearing aids that can split a soundscape into two channels — a focus channel (the voice of partner in front of you) and a background channel (all that background noise, like the commotion of a restaurant or festive holiday music). Each is handled separately by special processors in the hearing aids, and the user has greater speech clarity despite the surrounding noise.
On a larger scale, Signia’s newest hearing aids now include what it calls RealTime Conversation Enhancement, which analyzes an audio environment where multiple people are talking, senses speech — including the main and secondary speakers — and automatically separates voices into multiple different channels to process. The headset then latches onto those voices and tries to keep them focused on the listener whether those voices are moving in space or the user is moving their head.
During the holidays, this could mean that hearing aid wearers can better follow the ebbs and flows of conversation, even in noisy environments full of holiday cheer.
As you can tell, it may take a little extra care from loved ones and a few small lifestyle changes, but this year people with hearing loss can confidently enjoy the company of others while actively sharing their own best wishes for the future. holidays. And as the year draws to a close, everyone can happily, heartily, and loudly count down to midnight and join in a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne.”
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