Ask An Expert
Question: What can I do to better communicate at family get-togethers?
Answer: In addition to wearing your hearing instruments, there are strategies you can use to facilitate good communication. One of the best is to ask others to speak slower. This turns the focus on how they are speaking to you rather than on you not understanding. When people speak slower, they enunciate better, making it easier to understand. It also gives your brain more time to process the speech and fill in missing gaps. Speaking louder is usually not best because it distorts the person’s speech, making it even more difficult to understand. Other ways you can improve communication include finding a quiet room or area away from noise and speaking face to face.