Living with hearing loss can make social situations with lots of talking and background noise difficult to manage. While it’s nice to catch up with family, the holidays are rife with that specific type of challenging social environment.
Before heading to the Orange Street Food Farm for your Thanksgiving meal ingredients, let’s explore a few ways you can create a welcoming environment for guests with hearing loss.
1. Reduce Competing Noise
Cooking sounds, overlapping voices and the sound of the Thanksgiving Day parade on TV can make it challenging for those with hearing loss to keep up. Consider turning down or pausing the music during meals and moving the TV to a separate room from the one where you’re eating. If possible, plan noisy cooking tasks for before your guests arrive.
2. Prioritize Good Lighting
Many people with hearing loss rely on visual cues, like facial expressions and lip movements, to understand speech. Use warm, indirect lighting—such as table lamps, floor lamps or string lights—to brighten spaces and allow everyone to see one another clearly, without compromising the ambiance.
3. Arrange Seating Thoughtfully
Where your guests sit can make a huge difference. Place individuals with hearing challenges in central, well-lit locations where they can see multiple faces. For larger gatherings, consider breaking guests into smaller groups or using multiple tables to minimize background noise. Round tables are especially helpful—they allow everyone to maintain eye contact and join in group conversations.
4. Ask How You Can Help
Hearing loss is a common condition, affecting nearly 20% of the global population, but each case is unique. Asking how you can help is a big step in ensuring everyone feels welcome at dinner. If a loved one has hearing loss, ask ahead of time if they would prefer a specific seating arrangement or would like a music-free zone. Remember that people with hearing loss know what they need, and don’t try to push past what they ask for.
Creating a hearing-friendly home doesn’t have to be complicated. With small adjustments, you can ensure that everyone feels included, heard and part of the holiday magic.
For more information about how hearing loss impacts communication, or to schedule a hearing test for yourself or a loved one, contact Western Montana Hearing and Speech today.