Seasonal Food and Hearing Related Issues
Hearing loss, communicating and eating
The difficulties that arise from Seasonal Food and Hearing Related Issues, or Safari, are little discussed but very relevant to those with impaired hearing – from minor to serious loss.
Example.
Sue and I come home to find there’s something she wants to watch on TV, we haven’t eaten and so retire with trays to watch the programme. Inappropriate foods can seriously effect enjoyment and decor. Tomato based sauce with pasta is an extreme example, after the programme traces can be found on Sue’s clothing, in her hair and splattered – Tarantinoesque – on the furnishings. This problem is caused by Sue needing to read the subs whilst transporting slop (our word for all pasta sauces) to the food inlet. Soup is worse, by far.
Coping strategy.
Select from finger foods – pizza with wedges or chips, toasted or ‘raw’ sandwiches (obviously
with ‘firm’ fillings), sausage rolls, pies etc. Or, you could record the programme and watch when not eating, but when it’s something Sue likes she’d rather not wait.
Seasonal problems can arise at any get-together involving the previous saviour – finger foods. Crisps are easy to eat without having to look at the ‘cupping’ hand or bowl, which allows the hearing impaired person to concentrate on a speakers lip movements.
Unfortunately, those with partial hearing suffer when the crisps crunching sounds drown out everything else in the room. A belt from that considerately supplied glass of booze can soften the crisps enough to hear. Alcohol can also cause voice control to slip enough so that the whole room knows what a *&(£?@{{{+* the boss is.
Coping strategy.
Before hand, ask your companion or a friend at the social to let you know if volume increases. A discrete sign is better than choking and flapping hands around when an inappropriate comment is overheard. Alternatively, don’t consume booze – – – hell, it’s Christmas, go for it.
It would seem pious or preachy if I were to mention that drinking and driving isn’t worth the risk, or that considerately topped up drinks could be stronger than they seem, so I’ll keep quiet.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greeting and have fun.