Pittwater Hearing would like to wish all fathers and father figures a wonderful Father’s Day this Sunday! It is a day to celebrate the amazing dads in our lives, share stories and crack a few dad jokes of our own! If you’ve noticed that your dad is hard of hearing, this Father’s Day can be an opportunity to support him in hearing better and enjoying meaningful conversations with the family. This can be through the way you communicate, getting the most out of his hearing aids, or considering an accessory for the TV.
Speak to be heard
Whether your dad uses hearing aids or not, everyone can benefit from using some communication strategies to ensure conversations are clear and no one is left out:
- Get his attention first: Before starting a conversation, make sure you have his attention. Say his name, tap him on his shoulder, or wave so he can turn his attention to you.
- Go closer to him: Distance can make your voice soft and distorted as it has to travel further to reach his ears and there may be background noise that drowns out your voice. Before speaking, try to stand or sit closer to him.
- Face him directly: Make sure he can see your face so that he can access visual cues such as your lip movement and facial expressions to help understand what you are saying better. It also helps that the sound of your voice is travelling directly to him if you are facing each other.
- Speak clearly, but don’t shout: Try to avoid yelling as it can distort the sound of your voice. Speak at a normal pace and volume, and articulate your words clearly.
- Minimise background noise: Try to reduce background noise as much as possible. Try moving to a quieter spot to have a conversation, or turn down or turn off anything causing distracting noise such as the TV or radio.
- Rephrase: If he doesn’t understand what you have said, try rewording it instead of repeating it. Changing the wording can help make it easier to understand.
Make sure Dad enjoys the celebrations:
If you’re taking him to a restaurant, consider:
- Choose a restaurant that’s not too noisy: Does it have lots of hard surfaces and an open kitchen? How close are the tables to each other? Do they play loud music? If the answer is yes, then maybe this is not the right place for your dad.
- Pick a quiet table: Choose a table that’s in a corner, away from music speakers, or the coffee machine. If there are outdoor tables, sometimes this is a quieter alternative.
- Give dad the best seat: Make sure that he’s sitting not too far from the people he’ll be talking to, eg/ in the middle of the table, or with his better ear towards the conversation. If he wears hearing aids, positioning him with his back towards the bulk of the noise will enable the hearing aids to focus on the conversation and reduce more of the background noise.
Give to bring enjoyment
A TV streamer is a great idea for any dad having trouble hearing the TV. It sends the audio from the TV directly to hearing aids or headphones for a clearer sound. Most TV streamers also allow the hearing aid user to change the volume to their preference without changing the volume for others in the room. So, the TV won’t be blaring, and Dad will be able to hear the shows he loves.
For a dad who struggles in noise, a remote microphone can help. You speak into a small microphone, which enhances conversations and makes them clearer by picking up the speaker’s voice and transmitting the sound directly to dad’s hearing aids. This helps make voices clearer as it eliminates the effect of distance and background noise.
This Father’s Day, enhance your dad’s hearing experience by utilising communication strategies and explore or make use of remote microphones and TV streamers. Whether you are sharing a meal at a restaurant, enjoying conversations at home, or watching his favourite show together, using these tips can help ensure he feels included, heard and appreciated. Happy Father’s Day!