Masks and hearing loss - tips /experience?

[Tinysnickers]

I have recently been diagnosed with moderate hearing loss. I am awaiting an appointment with the NHS for hearing aids but the wait time is approx 6 months so I won't have them anytime soon.
I struggle most with understanding speech in n busy environments, eg shops, cafés, restaurants.
The return of masks makes things even harder as speech is even more muffled. When everyone was wearing masks before I just assumed that everyone had the same difficulty with understanding speech, I didn't know then that I had hearing loss.
Are there any strategies people use to help? Or do I just have to keep asking people to repeat themselves?

It’s rubbish
Sorry to hear of your recent hearing loss. I have no real tips for you, just sympathy. I do find though that nearly everyone will speak louder if I just say ‘sorry I’m deaf’ at the first opportunity.

buy 2 of these (or other hearing aids on amazon)
www.amazon.co.uk/Beurer-641-06-HA20-Hearing-Amplifier/dp/B0168IACBE/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=hearing+aid&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1638363543&sr=8-5

i got 2 for my mum while waiting on new hearing aids from the NHS as she had lost hers

Ds is severe and says you just have to ask to repeat and then be spoken to like an idiot. It’s not just being served. We can’t have normal conversation when out either as lowering your mask runs the risk of comments which are not worth it. Ds says he feels like he has lost independence - even the bank won’t do anything other than telephone calls.

Hi @Tinysnickers

I have severe hearing loss and rely on hearing aids and visual clues, so masks were really difficult for me at first. Asking people wearing masks to repeat themselves doesn't work for me as there's not enough visual clues for me to work out what they're saying. I've found it helps to ask people if they'd drop their mask, and explain why, and most people are happy to do it, which tbh I wasn't expecting at first! I find that people are generally more prepared to do it if you ask early in the conversation, as opposed to after you've asked them 3 times to repeat themselves 😉 I hope you get your hearing aids soon 🤞

It’s absolutely rubbish; I just say “sorry, I’m deaf, I can’t understand you with a mask on”. They then have the choice of removing it (which is completely legal to communicate with a deaf person), or using another communication method. For appointments etc, get a voice transcription app on your phone - then the other person talks and your phone types so you can read it. I use the free version of Otter, but there are others.

@MrsPear

Ds is severe and says you just have to ask to repeat and then be spoken to like an idiot. It’s not just being served. We can’t have normal conversation when out either as lowering your mask runs the risk of comments which are not worth it. Ds says he feels like he has lost independence - even the bank won’t do anything other than telephone calls.

DH has the same issue. He has to keep asking people to repeat themselves as their voices are so muffled. He has hearing aids but they don't make much of a difference so if I'm with him I do all the talking and I'm sure they think he's a henpecked husband! Although we laugh about it it's shit for anyone who is deaf.

I'm sorry you have to wait so long.
I was diagnosed with moderate hearing loss a year ago but was seen and given hearing aids within 6 weeks. Is there any possibility that you could be referred to a different hospital even if it meant travelling? Mine was all done in one appointment so it wasn't multiple trips.
I have to say that even with hearing aids I still struggle sometimes with masks. My hearing loss is at low frequency so I can hear usually hear female voices but not male.

@NeedingCoffee

It’s absolutely rubbish; I just say “sorry, I’m deaf, I can’t understand you with a mask on”. They then have the choice of removing it (which is completely legal to communicate with a deaf person), or using another communication method. For appointments etc, get a voice transcription app on your phone - then the other person talks and your phone types so you can read it. I use the free version of Otter, but there are others.

Oh I never knew there were apps like that!! Does it work with strong regional/foreign accents? I find those harder, especially with foreign call centres as often the line is also rubbish and sound quality is poor.

@rade I haven't even got to a point of choosing where to be see yet. I was diagnosed after I went to a private clinic after a hearing test but the audiologist asked me to visit the GP and ask for a referral into the NHS system because I have some conductive loss. I can't afford private hearing aids anyway.
I hope the GP has actually sent the referral no idea if I will get any confirmation of this. He said 3-6 months wait for initial appointment then a further wait for another appointment to get hearing aids. It is what it is, there are people in much worse situations and in the grand scheme of things it's annoying but not urgent.

3-6 months wait for initial appointment then a further wait for another appointment to get hearing aids.
That used to be the case at my local hospital but since covid they merged the two appointments to minimse visits. Your GP may not be up to date and it may not be as bad as you fear. Look at waiting times for audiology on your local hospital website. Then you can ring the audiology dept to make sure they have the referral.
FWIW I went to the NHS after a private test. I figured I would try the NHS free hearing aids before considering private. I'm very happy with them so far.

Otter isn’t perfect, especially with accents, as you say. But you can usually get the gist. You’d need two phones if you were on to a call centre though; one open with Otter and one holding the call on speaker phone…