The holidays have arrived! To get started, we dig out the decorations and the lights! We deck our homes with winter cheer, string up the lights and plug them in, shop for gifts and wrap them up, and plan the feast and call the guests. Then we sit back, relax and smack our heads. We forgot the food for the feast!

The holidays are a bustling time. With everything to plan for, overlooking a hearing problem is easy. If you are hearing impaired, you may miss a few words when someone at the other end of the dinner table speaks, or the background music will become blended with the sound of speech, making the words hard to understand. With a little bit of planning, though, these issues will go away.

Whether you are hosting or attending a get-together, the first and simplest thing to do is let everyone in the group know that you are hearing impaired. Tell them that getting your full attention before speaking, and facing you while speaking, will help you understand them much better. Also, try to gauge the environment, whether it’s your home, a friend’s or relative’s, or a restaurant. If possible, request that the background noise be kept to a minimum. Or utilize Roger or an FM system, which can make it seem as if the speaker is sitting right next to you and will help you hear well in environments where you cannot control the background noise.

Your loved ones want you to enjoy your time with them, just as much as they want to have a good time. While planning your holiday gatherings, feasts and get-togethers, take a moment to also plan on how to hear in those environments. Everyone will have a whole lot more fun, as will you!