User's Manual

31
Tips for Better Communication
Your hearing professional will recommend an
appropriate schedule to help you adapt to your new
hearing instrument. It will take practice, time and
patience for your brain to adapt to the new sounds that
your hearing instrument provides. Hearing is only part of
how we share thoughts, ideas and feelings. Reading lips,
facial expressions and gestures can help the learning
process and add to what amplification alone may miss.
Please review the following simple communication tips:
For You
• Move closer to and look at the speaker
• Sit face-to-face in a quiet room
• Try different locations to find the best place to listen
• Minimize distractions
• Background noises may be frustrating at first;
remember, you have not heard them for a while
• Let others know what you need; keep in mind that
people cannot “see” your hearing loss
• Develop realistic expectations of what your hearing
instruments can and cannot do
• Better hearing with hearing instruments is a learned
skill combining desire, practice and patience