Hearing friends and family in a noisy or crowded room is generally difficult to hear for most people, however it is almost impossible for an individual who has a degree of hearing loss. Most often they struggle to distinguish one voice among many. This is true for other listening environments as well, such as watching TV, talking over the phone or listening to the radio. Often, we can assist listeners that find these environments challenging through an assistive listening device (ALD). It is often used to improve hearing ability for people finding it strenuous and even stressful to distinguish speech in noisy environments. Assistive listening devices, offer a more adaptive alternative to hearing aids. ALDs can be useful when your main need is to listen to just one person at a time, or just to hear the television or radio. It is particularly useful for people who have other health concerns which limit their ability to use and manage a hearing aid independently. Other people who have a mild hearing loss might find that they can hear well enough in general, or aren’t yet ready for hearing aids, but their family or neighbours complain about the volume of their television. In this case, a TV headset might be useful, rather than hearing aids. It is important to work with a professional hearing practitioner, specialising in individualised hearing solutions when deciding upon a device. Therese can recommend suitable hearing devices and help you to make an informed decision about the device you choose to be fitted with.