If you have a loved one with hearing-loss, you will be familiar with how difficult meals at restaurants can be. Sometimes the circumstances are right to make a conversation possible, but others make it seem nearly impossible. A busy weekend night at a restaurant with high echoing ceilings and background music is a perfect storm for your loved one, leading to frustration, annoyance, embarrassment, and sometimes a meal without any conversation at all. If you have been in this situation with your loved one, you will no doubt want to find a way to improve the communication environment as much as possible. What can you do to improve the chances that your loved one will have an easy conversation? There are a few simple steps you can take before you go to set yourselves up for success, and there are other things you can do during your meal to improve communication, as well. Although these tips can make your communication better, the only durable solution for hearing loss is to get treatment from a hearing health professional, so keep in mind that encouraging your loved one to get hearing aids is the best thing you can do to help.
Preparing for Your Meal
Before you go to the restaurant, there are a few steps you can take to improve your chances of a good conversation. First of all, try to make a reservation at a quiet table, if possible. When you call to make your reservation, you can simply ask the host or hostess to seat you in the quietest part of the room. This person will be familiar with the individual features of the restaurant that make conversation challenging, including noise from the kitchen, the placement of speakers, or traffic noise outdoors. When you call for your reservation, you might also want to inform this person that you will be dining with someone who has hearing loss, making it possible for the host or hostess to inform the server, as well. You might want to take a look at the menu with your loved one, encouraging a decision about each element of the meal. Making these decisions before you arrive can limit the back-and-forth with the server and reduce the chance of miscommunication about your loved one’s order.
At the Restaurant
Once you arrive at the restaurant, you can take the role of assisting your loved one, as well. If possible, try to seat your loved one in the middle of the group, providing the shortest distance to each person who speaks. When possible, try to seat yourself next to your loved one, as well. This seating arrangement makes it possible for you to relay any questions coming from the end of the table, whether from someone in your group or from the server. With close proximity, you can take on the role of a casual interpreter, passing along important information that might be difficult to hear. If you find that the sonic environment is too difficult, you can ask the server, host, or hostess if there is anything to help make the room quieter. If this person is willing to turn down the background music, not only will that directly lower the volume in the room, but it will also help others lower their voices in response. Loud music and a din of voices can lead to a competition for sonic space, so even lowering the background music a little bit can cause a ripple effect of a quieter room.
Encouraging a Hearing Test
Although these tips can go a long way toward helping your loved one have an enjoyable time at the restaurant, the only durable solution for hearing loss is to get treatment from a hearing health professional. If your loved one has not yet received hearing aids or other assistive technology, the best thing you can do to help improve conversations at restaurants is to encourage a hearing test. This diagnostic exam is the first step toward getting the individual assistance your loved one needs. Begin by simply asking about your loved one’s experiences in restaurants, and hear them out about what was difficult. It may become obvious that getting hearing aids will be the best solution for the next meal out.