“People with hearing loss should take extra steps to ease the added social isolation caused by wearing masks, according to one published report.

“In September (Deaf Awareness Month) during the pandemic, these tips (below) from Clearliving.com are particularly relevant.  Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss (according to estimates by the National Institute on Deafness and other Hearing Disorders). Wearing a mask makes lip-reading impossible, can block hearing aids and muffles speaking voices – so it’s important for the hard-of-hearing to overcome any embarrassment and speak up. Their tips can help:

Written by Duncan Lambden. Reviewed by Lindsey Banks, Au.D.

“It’s as all the commercials are saying – these are difficult times for a lot of us. Everyone is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways, most of which range from inconvenient to devastating.

“One group of people that have been hard done by during the pandemic and its repercussions is the hearing loss community. With masks and social distancing becoming recommended or even mandatory in many public places, it can be tricky to communicate with a community that relies on context given by lip-reading.

“Some solutions have been developed, like clear face guards or masks with see-through sections inserted into them, but these aren’t always widely available. To help you or a loved one get a firmer grasp on how to help those with hearing loss deal with COVID-19, we’ve compiled a few tips and sources.”

Click here to see Communication Tips for those with Hearing Loss  in the article at Clear Living.