According to Zagat Surveys, noise is the second most common complaint of restaurant-goers (second only to poor service). Research has documented that the noise levels of most restaurants are loud enough to interfere with normal conversations, whether or not the individual has a hearing loss. In general, family restaurants are much quieter than the bar/restaurant setting. The “elegant, upscale” restaurant will always be the quietest setting by far. Apparently, patrons of more expensive restaurants receive not only better food and service for their dining dollar, they also get a better listening environment.

 Tips for hearing aid users in restaurants may include the following: (1) Try to sit away from the kitchen and with your back to a wall. Noise levels will be kept to a minimum and your waiter or waitress will have to face you when speaking, and (2) Try not to be a people watcher and sit towards the corner of a restaurant. You will be surprised how much better you will be hearing by preferentially situating yourself in any restaurant environment. 

Remember, we live in a very noisy place and even individuals with normal hearing have difficulty hearing in noisy restaurants. Utilizing effective communication strategies will help to reduce your frustration in these listening environments.

1. Sit Them 5-10 feet Away

While a hearing impaired child will usually choose a desk closer to the front on their own, make sure in classroom outings, assemblies and other out-of-class arrangements that the child is close enough to speech read the speaker.

2. Don’t Make it a Big Deal
 
Singling out the hearing impaired child will not help them in the schoolyard. A few quick words at the beginning of the year about how the child is hearing impaired and may need to look at other children to understand them is all that needs to be said. If children request further information, have pamphlets on hand addressing hearing loss in children; these are usually available from various organizations for the hearing impaired.
 
3. Have a Bit of Patience

Let them know that if they don’t understand something, to just let you know so that you can repeat it, and don’t get upset when they do ask you to repeat it. You may also want to schedule more intense lessons for the morning and early afternoon, as many hearing impaired children can get tired more easily than other children with the double duty that they need to do in order to understand something properly.

4. Hearing Aid Management

A teacher should be provided with a battery tester, spare batteries, pipe cleaners and and air dryer for cleaning earmolds, and a listening stethoscope if available. If your child is older, encourage them to clean their own hearing aids at school, as this job can get a bit nasty for someone not used to it. The less you ask the teacher to do, the better; just make sure they are armed with everything they need if an incident should arise.

At Work

Your employer has a few options for making fire alarms more accessible for you. They can install a “Fire Alarm Notification Appliance”, which usually incorporates strobe lighting into the traditional auditory signal. Companies that manufacture such devices make the strobe happen in such a way that it does not affect epileptics. There may be tax credits available to your employer or their building superintendent for switching over to such a system.

Buddy System

Enlist a few “buddies” at work that will let you know if there is an emergency. If you work at a larger company, make sure that your buddy system is formalized in an emergency response plan that is circulated to everyone at the company.

At Home

The key component that developers of emergency signal devices for deaf people is how to wake them up in case of emergency. Many such devices use a combination of lights and vibration to awaken a sleeping adult in enough time to get them out of harm’s way. If you have been living with hearing loss for some time already, you may already be familiar with alarm devices manufactured for those with hearing loss that vibrate. Manufacturers are constantly coming up with ways to awaken those with hearing loss more quickly. Contact your local Doctor of Audiology for more information about you hearing loss. Hear Florida Audiology Group is available to provide hearing services throughout South Florida with convenient locations in Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, and Miami. 

Police And Ambulance Sirens

Police and ambulance sirens are a bit trickier. The only way to really be sure that you can see them is to check your rear view and side mirrors as often as possible, especially when driving on busy streets and highways. If you travel often with a person that is not hearing impaired, come up with a touch signal, three rapid taps on your shoulder, for example, that means “police or ambulance behind you”.

In the end, you have to be responsible for your own safety, so rely the most on measures that put you in control rather than relying on other people.

1. Educate Kids, 4 Years and Up
   Sit down your kids or grandkids and have a conversation with them about how you can’t hear very well. Older kids will want to know why. Make sure that they know it is nothing to be sad about, just something they have to keep in mind when they are interacting with you. Kids can sometimes understand these issues better than adults can, so don’t hold back with details.
2. Be Patient with Younger Kids
   Kids under 4, and even under 5 in some cases, aren’t necessarily going to be sympathetic or attentive when it comes to your hearing loss. At this age, a child is more about exploring their own individuality than interacting in the world. Don’t be angered or disappointed if they forget about your hearing problems and don’t address you directly or speak loud enough for you to hear.
3. Purchase Books About Deafness
   If your child is old enough to read, buy them books on deafness. If they are younger, read them books on dealing with hearing loss. This page is a wealth of information on deafness and hearing loss for kids, including suggested book titles.
4. Make Efforts to Interact with Your Kids and Grandkids
   Often people with hearing loss will simply avoid interactive situations. If you really don’t wish to speak with people that often because of your hearing loss, pick up text messaging, Facebook, or e-mail. It is very important to keep in touch with your loved ones, and these methods will give you an easy way to keep in touch with your younger loved ones. In the case of younger children, try to interact with them as much as you can. You will draw as much joy from it as they will.
5. Remember that Kids are Highly Adaptive
   Don’t worry about your kids having to interpret what you say. If your kids are younger, they will get used to dealing with your hearing loss. If they are older and getting close to teenage years when your hearing loss begins to manifest, there will be resentment of your hearing loss just as teenagers resent nearly every facet of their parents. If your child is in those difficult years, ask for their patience and understanding and they will generally give it.

At a conference for those with hearing loss, there was a seminar for mothers who were coping with hearing loss. The results are here, and we highly recommend giving it a read if you are a parent or grandparent that is coping with both your own hearing loss and children.