It’s Thanksgiving, the beginning of the holiday season. In rapid succession come Christmas and Hannukah, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, not to mention parties. Like many with hearing loss, I approach the holidays with some trepidation. Here’s my advice. Practice a little TLC.

T is for Technology

Assistive Listening Devices. Use them! These can be something as simple as a Williams Sound Pocket Talker or as sophisticated as a Phonak Roger system with multiple microphones.

The Pocket Talker is a handheld amplifier with a microphone. The listener uses earbuds or a headset. It won’t allow you to hear the conversation at the other end of the table but if your neighbors speak into the microphone, you will hear them better. Amazon.com lists them at at around $200. The Pocket Talker works with two AAA batteries. The Roger system runs between $1000 and $2000.

Your IPhone or Android smart phone can act as a remote microphone, through Live Listen, which you can find in Settings. HOWEVER: You can not find it if you have Phonak hearing aids, which I do. So I’ve never been able to use Live Listen. If anyone knows otherwise, please contact me via the comments. See my previous column on captions for using your smart phone as a captioning device.

Don’t forget the most basic tech fix of all: a pen and paper.

L is for Location.

The best location for a person with hearing loss depends on the nature of their hearing.

I hear better from my right ear, for instance, so I try to position myself with at least one strong voice to my right. That way I can ask that person what was said.

For others, sitting at the center of the table may allow them to hear the whole table better.

If there’s background music, sit as far from the speakers as possible, or ask the host to turn the music down — or, preferably, off.

C is for Care.

There are lots of ways Care can be part of your Thanksgiving TLC.

First, take care in how you listen. I think of this as mindful listening. Watch the impulse to say What? or Huh? Think before you respond. What’s the context of the conversation? What parts of the sentence did you get? Is there a logical missing word? Guessing can be an effective strategy for getting someone to repeat in a way that makes the whole sentence comprehensible. You’ll get a much more helpful response if instead of “What?” You ask “Did he say this butter is made in Mongolia?”

Take care of others. There a few things more emotionally rewarding than doing something for someone else. Volunteer to serve dinner at a homeless shelter. Invite friends who may not have anywhere else go. I always like to include people newly arrived in America, who don’t know much about Thanksgiving. Often these are friends of my children’s, whose social network is much farther flung than mine.

Take care of yourself. When it gets too noisy, take a break in another room. Help serve and clear the table. Wash some dishes. Play with the baby.

The T could also stand for Thankful. I hate to sound sentimental, but remember to be thankful for what you do have, rather than making yourself miserable about what you don’t, like good hearing.

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This post was originally published in 2017. I’ve updated to reflect new information.

For more about living with hearing loss, read  Smart Hearing, available at Amazon.com, or Shouting Won’t Help, available at Amazon and other booksellers.