During
the holidays, when you are spending time with family, it can often be frustrating
trying to follow the conversations if you have hearing loss. Having poor
hearing myself, I find it hard enough listening to my wife at home with no
distractions. But she also knows the frustration and can get, should I say, a
little irritated when I ask her to repeat herself for the 10th time.
(Actually, it never gets that far - after the third time it usually is a loud “Never
mind!”.)
But I
have found some tips that can help improve communication when talking with
someone with hearing loss.
The
first are common sense: do not talk from another room; speak clearly, slowly,
distinctly, but naturally, without shouting; pause between sentences or phrases;
and keep your hands away from your face while talking.
But
here are five tips you may not have thought of.
1. Say
the person's name before beginning a conversation. This gives the listener a
chance to focus at the beginning of the conversation. 2. Tell the
hearing-impaired person if the topic has changed. 3. Don’t just repeat over and
over. Instead try to find a different way of saying the same thing. 4. If you
are giving specific information -- such as a phone number have them repeat the
specifics back to you. Many numbers and words sound alike. 5. Pay attention to
the listener. A puzzled look may indicate misunderstanding. (To avoid embarrassment,
I often just smile and nod if I don’t understand.)
Also
try to minimize extraneous background noise when talking. But if a noisy
situation is unavoidable, like in a restaurant, consider the following: have
the person with hearing loss sit with their back to a wall, avoid sitting near
the kitchen and bar area, and if possible sit in a booth.
And finally,
be patient. Hearing aids greatly improve the ability to hear but it doesn’t
return the user’s hearing back to normal. They may hear the sounds but not
understand the words. Or as I often tell my wife, “I heard you say something, but
I have no clue what it was”.
The
Center’s Wednesday Lecture on Nov. 8th, at 11:00 will feature Rod
Runyon who will share his experiences and the touching stories he heard while
participating in the ten-day, 2,600 mile “Run for the Wall” motorcycle ride to
honor military families. It will be a fascinating presentation.
National
Geographic writer and explorer Dan Buettner identified five “longevity hotspots”
in the world where the inhabitants live much longer than expected. By
investigating the lifestyles of the inhabitants of these Blue Zones, nine
lessons have been identified to help us all live longer, healthier, and happier
lives.
The
first is to “Move Naturally” which I described last week. The second lesson is
to have a “Purpose” – your reason for waking up in the morning. There is
evidence that knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra
life expectancy.
Sometime
early next year the local Blue Zones Project with be conducting Purpose Workshops.
Each workshop is a two-hour facilitated process to identify your gifts,
talents, passions, and personal values to help you live a more fulfilled and
intentional life with purpose. Until then, what are your reasons for getting
out of bed on a cold autumn morning - besides a hot breakfast!
The
player who was nicknamed “Mr. October” because of his baseball heroics in
October (as when he hit three consecutive home runs in the clinching game six
of the 1977 World Series) was Reggie Jackson. (I received correct answers from
baseball aficionados Don McAllister, Jerry Philips, Jesse Birge, Jim Ayers, and
this week’s winner of a free quilt raffle ticket, Vince Zanobelli.)
This
television series ran from 1964 through 1968 and led the spy-fiction craze on
television. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of the
television spy series that involved the two-man team of Napoleon Solo and the
Russian Illya Kuryakin working for multi-national secret intelligence agency? Email
your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or
drop it off with a copy of the show’s pilot originally titled Ian Fleming’s Solo.
Well,
it’s been another week, enjoying the cycle of the seasons. Until we meet again,
don’t let the blues be the only color in your life.
“One
is never wounded by the love one gives; only by the love one expects.” Marty
Rubin
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