Do you dread noisy get-togethers during Diwali, Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, New Year and other festivities? The latest technology and some simple strategies can help.
Adele, who recently upgraded to two Cochlear™ Nucleus® 8 Sound Processors from Nucleus® 6 Sound Processors, has played Mrs Claus alongside Santa husband, Randy, for five years, appearing in a variety of noisy public places.
“This scared me at first because children’s voices have always been the most difficult for me to understand. And most of our appearances are in very large groups with lots of noise,” says Adele. “I am still amazed at how well I have been able to do this.”
Adele wears a hat that doesn’t cover her sound processors and keeps her Cochlear™ Wireless Mini Microphone 2+ handy in case of hearing difficulty with a particular voice.
“This is great because I can tell children it is my magic microphone to hear them. I love the innocence of young children. It feels great to see children smiling and happy. We bring a little magic to their lives.”
Adele says the key to success is to “learn all you can about your technology.”
With her Nucleus® 8 Sound Processors, she has discovered the automatic sound adjustment of SmartSound® iQ 2 with SCAN 2, which she loves. As Adele moves through the day, the new sound processors sense changes in her listening environment and automatically adjust to help deliver clearer sound.1–4
“I like having processors that are smarter than me and can adjust to my environment without me having to stop and do it myself,” jokes Adele.
Three tips for noisy social situations
1. Plan ahead
Think ahead to who might be there, the setting, and the programme you might need. Adele also double checks she has her Nucleus® Smart App connected and that her mini mic is paired.
2. Choose your location
Place yourself where you have a good view of people at your table or gathering. Think about where you will have maximum hearing and where you might choose to move to ‘get out of the crowd’ if you need to hear someone better.
In noisy restaurants, try to sit with your back to the noise, facing your dinner partner. Adele uses her SCAN 2 setting and, if there is a lot of noise behind her, she turns on ForwardFocus.
3. If you don’t understand, just ask!
Ask people to repeat themselves if you miss conversation. Adele says, “It is all a matter of asking nicely, educating others and taking responsibility for my own success.”
References:
1. Cochlear Limited. D1864200 SCAN 2 Design Description. 2022, Apr.
2. Mauger SJ, Warren C, Knight M, Goorevich M, Nel E. Clinical evaluation of the Nucleus 6 cochlear implant system: performance improvements with SmartSound iQ. International Journal of Audiology. 2014, Aug; 53(8): 564-576. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
3. Mauger SJ, Jones M, Nel E, Del Dot J. Clinical outcomes with the Kanso™ off the ear cochlear implant sound processor. International Journal of Audiology. 2017 Apr 3;56(4):267–76. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
4. Wolfe J, Neumann S, Marsh M, Schafer E, Lianos L, Gilden J, O’Neill L, Arkis P, Menapace C, Nel E, Jones M. Benefits of adaptive signal processing in a commercially available Cochlear Implant Sound Processor. Otol Neurotol. 2015 Aug; 36(7):1181-90. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
5. Cochlear Limited. D1964109 Clinical Investigation Report CLTD5804 – Feb 2022.
