Increasing Independence With Lipreading
Buzz. Louise got a text from her mother, Joan. It’s another to-do list packed with errands Joan needs help with.
- Monday – grocery shopping and a prescription pick-up at the pharmacy
- Tuesday – hair appointment
- Friday – meeting at the bank.
Joan has hearing aids, but she still misses pieces of conversation when she is in challenging listening environments.
Since a lot of places Joan needs to visit are challenging listening environments, she often relies on Louise to listen and interpret conversations for her.
Louise loves her mother so much and wishes she had more tools to help her in difficult listening situations.
OR
Louise knows that her mother feels terrible that she has to rely on her so much to feel more confident in certain listening situations.
The following week at Joan's audiologist appointment, Louise asks if there's a way to help her mom understand better during conversations.
Joan's audiologist recommended learning how to read lips.
Lipreading will complement Joan's hearing aid, helping her communicate better. By watching movements of the lips, tongue and jaw, Joan will be able to fill in the gaps of speech, especially when there's background noise.
Lipreading will allow Joan to practice being more independent because she will learn to rely on her sight in combination with her hearing, rather than completely on her daughter.
Starting The Lipreading Journey
Louise helped her mother set up a Read Our Lips account and she has been learning and practicing ever since.
Read Our Lips is an online learning platform for lipreading where you can learn how to lipread or practice your skills.
Joan can complete the lessons on her own because the videos are captioned and very clear. The online format allows her to learn on her own time and in the comfort of her home.
Since completing the course, Joan has been more independent when doing everyday tasks and communicating with people. She has been feeling more confident about ordering at restaurants and chatting with staff in the grocery store. She’s even stopped to talk to other customers while shopping.
Lipreading has drastically improved how well Joan can hear with her hearing aids. The skill aids her hearing aids by allowing her to better understand speech.
“I’m so proud of my mother and how independent she feels now. Hearing loss isn't stopping her anymore” – Louise
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