How can a very hard of hearing person stay social in activities?

Helpful answers! I've never heard of the blue tooth connections but that is remarkable.

It's hard for many people who have hearing loss, with or without hearing aids, to enjoy large crowds or any event that has a lot of background noise. Yes, hearing aids are getting better but from the people I've talked with, I've gotten the impression that there is still a long way to go.

Keep watching this thread for more tips, ayamesan. There are amazingly creative people here.

Take care,
Carol

My mother in law was very hard of hearing but remained social. She took a lip reading class, and she wore hearing aids. She was in a bridge club and other activities. The way she managed is she told people riight away that she was hard of hearing and that she would understand them better if they faced her when they spoke. She got along well. It became habit for me to face her when I spoke and she didn't miss out on anything. I worked with a friend who was hard of hearing who wore a tag on her blouse that said speak up , I am hard of hearing.

My mother is also very hard of hearing. We got a Bluetooth adaptation for her hearing aids which allows her to hear my dad better when he wears a microphone in his shirt pocket so what he says goes directly into her hearing aid. She can also use the microphone placed near the television so the volume doesn't have to be turned up for her to hear. We also got an adapter that was connected to her cell phone so she could hear the conversations directly in her hearing aid. This ended up being too difficult for her to understand how to use, so she no longer uses it. This was not a cheap enhancement, but it is a one-time expense, and it has made things much easier for my folks to communicate.

Hello ayamesan,

I can certainly understand your frustration. My husband is very hard of hearing and that has curtailed our social activities.

Do you mean that the "din" of the group makes it hard for you to hear? Parties with music are hard, of course.

Why don't your hearing aids work? I was having a terrible time making myself understood to my husband until I became more pro-active in having him change the batteries and the tips. Now we do that once a week and life is much easier.

Are you able to have conversations one to one?

My suggestion at this point would be to encourage activities that do not rely so heavily on conversation, as such, like going for walks with people, playing cards, fishing with the guys, etc.

What is it that you like to do?

The capabilities of different brands of hearing aids are remarkable. I have Phonak ones and the Bluetooth enhancement GrandmaLynn mentioned is an option. I got them at a medical facility where they are tuned periodically by an audiologist working on a computer. She says they used to tune them with a screwdriver. There is a wide range of technology out there. Some just turn up the volume. Others can be adjusted to respond more to specific frequencies.

Got this from a brochure in the hearing doctors office - don't speak louder it can make the sounds in the hearing aid reverberate and harder to interpret. Try speaking with a lower pitch and a little slower, enunciating words more clearly. It works when I'm instructing in Wii bowling in this senior living establishment.

You sound very motivated to adapt and try new things which is half the battle! You might try to get some ideas through the Hearing Loss Association of America, their site looks very helpful.

If someone can still see ok you can try a small white board found in the dollar store or drug stores. Just remember not to use a permanent marker on it like I did! Give the person time to process things too. Not only may they be deaf or hearing impaired but by then the brain slows down as well.

I have learned to simply be with a person if they are ok with this is fine too. Don't have to talk all the time. Dad can't process much anyways anymore. Just sit, take him for a walk, and try to look happy about it. He smiles back or seems content.
Ugh. It's tough stuff no matter how you do it.
Have you tried a caption phone? It's a screen attached to your landline phone. When someone calls it types out what they say.
Also, brother tried using his ipad: talk into the ipad what he wanted to say to Dad. Ipad wrote it out. Dad read it and responded.
This is the expensive and faster version of the white board.
So sorry for people losing hearing. The positive thing I could imagine about it: enjoy the sweet, sweet sound of silence and go within more. OMMMmmm

Hi Ayamesan!
I have some news you may be interested in. I am a caregiver and profoundly deaf. Hearing aids do not help and are costly. I recently stumbled upon a new type of hearing device while looking for a loud phone for my Mom.
Its called an amplifier by Soundworld solutions. This little device is nothing short of amazing! The first time I wore it I was stunned at the things I could hear, but never did with hearing aids. And trust me I have a drawer full of them, all makes and models.
It does not take batteries, you simply plug it into the charger and walk away.
The battery life is about 18 hours give or take. It can be used as a Bluetooth device for your phone or any Bluetooth media device.
You can also program it with a smartphone or your computer, to your exact specifications. It also comes with three presets. The one for restaurants is awesome. It was so nice to go to dinner and hear the person across the table again.
And the real beauty of it is it is less than $500.00 bucks! Plus you can try it for 45 days to see if it's for you. If not send it back and get a full refund.
I absolutely love this device, it has opened up the world again for me.
I do understand what your going thru, it's not easy. I remember always having to say, "Let put my glasses on so I can see what your saying". But those days are gone now due to this wonderful device.
Note: There are two models one that looks like a Bluetooth phone you wear on your ear and the other looks like a hearing aid, which is the one I got due it was more powerful. My favorite thing is I forget I'm wearing it because it's so comfortable. If you want more info drop me a line Id be happy to help you.
Or just look up Soundworld solutions on the Internet and see for yourself.
Take care, your not alone.
God Bless

As someone with major hearing loss I understand your frustration. I've worn hearing aids for years. There are many different brands out there so check them out carefully to determine which ones would best fit your life style. Mine have 4 different settings that allow me to adjust them for different environments. If you have fairly new hearing aids work with your audiologist for the best adjustment. Remember that hearing aids are NOT a buy once investment but should be replaced about every 5 years due to earring changes. I would also suggest checking out some of the personal hearing amplifiers for use in larger groups, some of these can help somewhat.
With that said, I used to hide my hearing impairment, now I tell people or remind them. If people start talking and I can't hear them, I interrupt them and tell them so. I do try to keep conversations to small groups but there are still many activities in which you can participate. I wish you the best.