How to Make Your Thanksgiving Hearing Loss-Friendly

While Thanksgiving is often a joyous time, it can be a bit taxing on a person with impaired hearing. However, there are ways to make Thanksgiving hearing loss-friendly so everyone can enjoy the holidays to the fullest. If you or someone you love are celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with impaired hearing, check out these handy tips and habits that can be incorporated.

How to Make Your Thanksgiving Hearing Loss-Friendly

• If you are traveling this Thanksgiving, make sure you wear your hearing aids when traveling by car, bus, train, or plane. Wearing your hearing aids can help reduce your chances of an accident, and allows you to be kept up to date on any changes to your travel schedule. Just make sure you bring extra batteries and any other accessories you may need along the way in your hearing aid travel kit.

• During the holidays, there can be inclement weather, and precipitation can damage your hearing aid. If you find yourself outdoors with your hearing aid on, make sure it is anchored properly and keep them away from contact with sleet, rain, and snow. Using a hearing aid dehumidifier while your hearing aid is not in use is a great way to extract any built-up moisture from the device.

• Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food. It’s about gathering with loved ones to celebrate the holidays. However, conversations, especially multiple conversations can be tricky to keep up with. Try to keep your group small so you can remain within earshot, and don’t be afraid to ask a person to repeat themselves. Most of all, wear those hearing aids if you have them!

• If you are a guest at a party, and you have hearing loss, or you are a host that will have a guest with hearing loss, choosing a spot to sit is very important. Stay away from doorways and walkways, as well as away from speakers, radios, and televisions. You want an area that has minimized background noise and is against a wall so the sound can bounce off.

• Don’t be afraid to recharge and take a breather if you are feeling overwhelmed. It can become exhausting dealing with social situations when you have a hearing impairment, so don’t feel guilty for needing some time to yourself to recharge and give your brain and ears a break. If you are the host this holiday and have a hard of hearing guest, make sure you have a space reserved for them to get away to recharge.