My latest article for Hearing Tracker. Just in time for Thanksgiving!
Friend #1 says something, but I didn’t hear it. I ask her to repeat it, but before I get the words out, friend #2 has already responded to her, moving the conversation forward, yet farther away from me. I say “What?” again, but this does not stop the flow — Friend #1 replies back to Friend #2 and they are off, leaving me behind.
Friend #3, sensing my frustration, acts as a translator, summarizing what has been said so I can catch up. While this is thoughtful behavior and often gets us back on track, I sometimes wonder if it perpetuates the problem by enabling the inconsiderate behavior.
Does this sound familiar to you?
For many people the evening meal is the most social part of the day. That is certainly the case for me. Whether it is a family dinner, date night, work event or evening out with friends, conversation and connection often revolve around the dinner table.
How can we make sure we are not left out of the dialogue? To read my suggestions, click here to continue reading on Hearing Tracker.
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Great ideas here, Shari…thanks for always great advice!
.just FYI…BOSE Hearphones…newish device that enables HOH (moderate Hearing Loss) to hear specific conversations, in noisy rooms, thanks to noise cancelling, multidirectional microphones built in! You can watch a YouTube video review of this device, …search for Anne Jones, or Dana Ross…I’m feeling hopeful about finally being able to hear people speaking, at noisy, cross-talk dinner situations.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
I will, for sure!
Hi Shari, we are a company that specialises in fitting hearing loops (AFILS) and one of the items we occasionally supply to people is known as a Conversor Pro which would be one device to consider for Assistive Listening aspects of the dinner session.
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
RE: CONVERSOR PRO…If it doesn’t have noise cancellation feature, then it will not serve the purpose.
The problem with cross talk, in noisy restaurants, is..even if a person has a remote microphone (I have one that is connected, via bluetooth, to my hearing aids), the background noise reduces ability to comprehend what the speaker is saying.
With the new BOSE Hearphones, the noise cancellation, along with the mutlidirectional microphones (built in), enable the listener to pick up conversations across a table, by just turning his/her head.
Check out the BOSE Hearphones reviews, on Youtube….
The device is mostly for people with moderate hearing loss, but i’m still going to try the device.
My bluetooth, remote microphone, just doesn’t cut it for me.
So the critical issue is to get the microphone from the device such as the Conversor Pro or the Bluetooth device as close to the person speaking as possible and ensure that the person with the hearing aid has it set to T setting only, and not a mixture of it and the built in microphone.
Thanks Shari. Some really useful tips there. Controlling the situation and planning ahead where you can, can be really helpful. Coincidentally I have been out with work friends tonight for something to eat. We were given options by organiser of where to eat, I chose based on where would suit my hearing best, (luckily others picked the same place to). I had eaten there before and I knew it would be quieter, no background music, good acoustics etc.. . My point being that planning ahead and identifying restaurants that work best for you can make your night much more enjoyable.😃
I agree! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Hi Shari, Just a note of thanks to you, Shari for sharing the conversation, the tips, the strategies, and especially the community that you foster by your blog and advocacy! There is much to be grateful for… Have a great Thanksgiving!
Thank you Darleen! Have a wonderful holiday!
This article came up in my email and of course I was excited to read it and to share with you. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/how-restaurants-got-so-loud/576715/