User's Manual

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Tips for Better Communication
Tips for Better Communication
For Your Family and Friends
Your family and friends are also affected by your
hearing loss. Request that they:
• Get your full attention before beginning
to speak
• Look at you or sit face-to-face in a quiet room
• Speak clearly and at a normal rate and level;
shouting can actually make understanding
more difficult
• Rephrase rather than repeat the same words;
different words may be easier to understand
• Minimize distractions while speaking
Your hearing care professional will recommend an
appropriate schedule to help you adapt to your new
hearing system. It will take practice, time and patience
for your brain to adapt to the new sounds that your
hearing system provides. Hearing is only part of how
we share thoughts, ideas and feelings. Reading lips,
facial expressions and gestures can help the learning
process and add to what amplification alone may miss.
Please review the following simple
communication tips:
For You
• Move closer to and look at the speaker
• Sit face-to-face in a quiet room
• Try different locations to find the best place
to listen
• Minimize distractions
• Background noises may be frustrating at first;
remember, you have not heard them for a while
• Let others know what you need; keep in mind that
people cannot “see” your hearing loss
• Develop realistic expectations of what your hearing
instruments can and cannot do
• Better hearing with hearing instruments
is a learned skill combining desire, practice
and patience