Caring
together
Learning
together
Continuously
improving
Excelling
together
Step 14: Communication tactics to use alongside hearing aids
It is important to use communication tactics alongside the hearing aids to get the most
benefit
• Ask people to get your attention first before they start speaking to you
• Do not try to have a conversation with someone in a different room
• Be facing the person you are listening to so you can see their face and lip patterns
• Try to move away from background noise, where possible. If in a restaurant, sit with
you back to a wall so no one is behind you. Try to avoid sitting underneath speakers
playing music.
• Being in an environment with good lighting and limited distractions can be helpful.
• If you have misheard an individual more than once, ask them to rephrase what they are
saying instead of repeating it again
• Ask individuals to speak clearly, slow down and use normal lip movements
• Ask people to use plain language and not to waffle
• Keep calm if you have not quite heard what was said, if you get anxious you might find it
harder to follow what’s being said.
Please see the video for more guidance on communication tactics:
https://c2hearonline.com/openfit/comm_tactics.html
