Do you have a loved one who loves to go out to eat? Having a meal prepared for you and your loved ones in a restaurant can be a great way to celebrate a special occasion or to just enjoy the ease of a night without cooking. If your loved one has a taste for gourmet food, then they might take special enjoyment in the creativity of a chef’s decisions and expertise. However, hearing loss can get in the way of enjoying a meal in a restaurant. Although the food might taste the same, the pleasure of sharing that meal in good company can be inhibited by the struggle to communicate. Your loved one might want to go to a restaurant but feel that the struggle to communicate with others makes it not worth the hassle. If you are concerned for your loved one with hearing loss, the good news is that there are things you can do to facilitate an enjoyable trip to a restaurant. By preparing for the event and offering support during your time there, you will be able to make it possible for your loved one to have the best that the culinary world has to offer.
Before Your Meal
In preparation for your meal at the restaurant, there are a few things you can do to set your loved one up for a good time. The first step is to make sure to secure the best table in the room for someone with hearing loss. When you call to make a reservation, talk with the host or hostess about some of the dynamics of sound in the restaurant. You might find that there is a better time of day or day of the week to make your trip. Weekend nights tend to be the loudest in terms of background noise and the din of voices in the room. Choosing an early reservation on a weeknight might be a better time for your meal. You can also ask for a table that is away from the kitchen, traffic noise on the street, or other tables. Trust the expertise of the host or hostess when it comes to selecting a table with the least noise. One more helpful tip is to encourage your loved one to take a look at the menu prior to your visit. Having a sense of the options will make conversations with the server go more smoothly, eliminating the back-and-forth of questions and answers about these options, dietary restrictions, or daily specials.
During Your Visit
While you are at the restaurant, there are even more things you can do to make your visit go smoothly. Make sure that your loved one with hearing loss is seated in a convenient place at the table to facilitate conversations. The end of an oblong table makes it hard to hear people on the other side, but sitting in the middle of the group reduces the distance to others. You can even offer your help as an ad hoc interpreter if appropriate. When someone at the other end of the table or the server asks a question, you can sit beside your loved one with hearing loss to repeat the question or to rephrase in a way that makes conversation easy. When you offer this service, make sure to center the perspective of your loved one rather than speaking on their behalf. If there are confusing moments, your support will help transform an awkward or embarrassing moment into an opportunity to show that you care.
Enjoying the Future
These tips can make a visit to a restaurant more enjoyable and easier for all involved. However, they will not solve the underlying issue of hearing loss. When you return for your next meal in a restaurant, these problems will arise again unless your loved one gets treatment for the underlying cause of communication problems. Encourage your loved one to get a hearing test as soon as possible. This diagnostic exam will point your loved one toward the right hearing aid options for their individual needs. Once treatment is implemented, future visits to restaurants and other noisy locales will be easier to navigate and more enjoyable. Contact us today.
