Hearing Aids

Being fit with new hearing devices will bring about many new experiences. It is important for you to know what to expect. There are things that should be right about the new devices from day one and every day after that. If you have difficulty in any of these areas, we will make it right as soon as possible:

· The hearing devices should be functional on a daily basis and, if they are not working, repairs will be completed in a timely manner.

· The hearing devices should be free from feedback under normal use conditions. If feedback occurs on a frequent basis, adjustments can be made to minimize these occurrences.

· The hearing devices should be physically comfortable to wear. If discomfort is experienced, especially after the first few days of use, adjustments can be made to the physical shape of the body or ear piece of the hearing device to eliminate such discomfort.

· Loud sounds in the environment should not be made to be uncomfortable by the hearing devices. If discomfort is experienced, adjustments can be made to control the output of hearing aid.

· The hearing device should improve the ability to hear soft and conversational levels of speech in quiet environments.

· The hearing devices should be comfortable to wear in louder, noisier environments.

We know that hearing loss creates many communication difficulties. We will try to solve all of your major challenges, but the nature of hearing loss is such that your hearing will never be normal again. Everyone’s hearing loss is different and, for some, the damage is so great that certain situations will always pose a challenge even with the best devices. Improving your ability to communicate in challenging situations will form the basis of what we will try to do for you. We call these focus points potential benefits. The ability to meet these goals will vary depending on the specific nature of your hearing loss, the communication environments that you visit and the level of technology in your devices.

Potential benefits would include:

· The hearing devices will allow you to better understand speech in complex, noisy situations.

· The hearing devices will improve your ability to separate the various sources of sound in your environment and focus on the sounds in which you are most interested.

· The hearing devices will improve your ability to understand speech from electronic sources such as telephones, televisions, etc.

· The higher the level of technology in your devices, the greater the chances of improved performance in challenging situations.

*Contact our Audiology Coordinator, Ashley Brewer, at abrewer@noshc.org for more info.

Adapted from Donald J. Schum, Ph. D. (2009). Managing Patient Expectations. Audiology Online, April 13.