Top tips for a tip-top festive dinner

1. Set the stage to suit everyone

The sound environment has a big effect on people with hearing loss. So a successful dinner begins with careful design of the ‘stage’ to minimise the noise they experience. When you decide where people should sit, you can use place cards or reserve a chair with a special cushion.

2. Reduce the volume

Background noise makes it hard to hear, especially as there may already be plenty of excited chatter, galloping cutlery, and clattering plates and pans.

As background noise increases, people tend to speak louder. The noise can quickly escalate, which is bad news for anyone with hearing difficulties

3. Help the eyes to help the ears 

Looking at people’s faces makes it easier to see when someone begins speaking and then to read their lips, facial expressions, and other types of body language.

Unfortunately, many older hearing aids still use narrow directionality*, so the wearer has difficulty hearing anyone they are not looking at. If someone begins making a speech, the person with hearing loss may be unaware unless they see it happening and then turn to listen.

*Find out how directionality is now a thing of the past

4. Help others to help you

If you suffer from hearing loss, you probably know that people are not always aware of your needs. So it is important that you tell them. Otherwise, how can they know?