Life With A Hearing Loss

Friday night, I was hard at work in my kitchen, preparing a dish of lasagna to serve over the weekend. While I stood at the stove gently stirring a pan of simmering sauce, a family member came up behind me and tapped my shoulder. I jumped – startled – and a spoonful of lasagna sauce flew through the air in multiple directions, splattering the stove top and the polar white kitchen walls.

Last I had noticed, this person had parked himself in the living room in front of the TV and was deeply engrossed in the news. He scared me, because I never heard him come into the kitchen.

Approaching a hard of hearing person from behind without startling them can be a tricky task! I thought I would share a few helpful tips I have on how NOT to startle a hard of hearing person:

1. If you need to approach from behind, try to walk a little heavier than you normally do without actually stomping. Many hard of hearing people are very sensitive to vibrations and movement.
2. Depending on the hard of hearing person’s degree of hearing loss, it may help to make a bit of noise as you approach. Try clearing your throat, tapping your toes, or rustling papers.
3. If at all possible, try to approach from the side so they can catch your movement in the corner of their eye. Waving or gesturing to get their attention is perfectly acceptable.
4. Don’t touch hard of hearing people or speak to them until you’re certain they have seen you and are aware of your presence.

Hard of hearing people will certainly appreciate the efforts you make to get their attention so they won’t be startled when you approach. I know I will!

By the way, the lasagna was a hit. But those white walls…they’ve got to go. It looks like I’ll be busy painting this summer.