Recommendation biap 06/9

 

“INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS AWAITING HEARING AIDS”

 

 

Each patient is an individual case; each type of deafness is different.

Early fitting is a success-factor.

Allowing for exceptions, binaural fitting is the rule.

 

Good practice rules are there to explain the trial process for hearing aids.  If you find any differences from these rules, you should discuss them with your hearing-aid audiologist.

 

The eight  “golden” rules are:

 

  1. In order to know you better and meet your expectations, you will be invited to describe your present state of hearing:
  2. Do you have understanding or communication difficulties in various listening situations (quietness, noise, on the phone, in a group, in working life, in a place of entertainment, …)?
  3. Have you already had experience of a hearing aid ? What do you expect from it ?

 

  1. Your hearing capacity will be measured by means of a headset, a vibrator and/or loud-speakers.  Your hearing level and discomfort level will be assessed.  These tests will be carried out by means of sounds, words and/or sentences.

 

  1. Depending on the results of these hearing tests, the audiologist will inform you on the range of available  technologies and their cost, and will advise you on the hearing aid best suited to your needs.

 

  1. After visual examination of the auditory canal, an impression of the ear is taken.  Acoustic, anatomic and physiological requirements will determine the shape of, and materials used for, the earpiece.

 

  1. Next, through compared adaptation, your hearing-aid audiologist will be able to propose the most suitable solution.  The efficiency of your hearing aid will be monitored by the appropriate hearing tests.  A trial run in your normal surroundings will be suggested.  The fine-tuning of your hearing aid, by both immediate and on-going efficiency monitoring, will require several appointments.

 

  1. Regular use of the prostheses follows on from the continuous hearing-aid training you will receive.  You will be taught how to use them correctly, how to take care of them and how to get used to them throughout the different stages of adaptation to this new way of hearing.  You will be given written information.

 

  1. You will also be informed as to the possible use of additional technical aids that facilitate communication and integration into social and working life.

 

  1. When adaptation is completed, further pluridisciplinary care is necessary to ensure constant efficiency.   You will be followed medically by your ENT and technically by your hearing-aid audiologist.  These verifications will detect any future modifications in your hearing or in the working of your prostheses.  Earpieces can then be replaced or the setting of the hearing aid be adjusted.

 

Your active participation is also one of the keys to success with your hearing aid.

It consists of : gradually learning not only to hear by wearing the hearing-aids on a regular basis, but also to reaffect and re-classify familiar sounds, useful speech signals and finally variations in sound intensity.

Progress in hearing training must be adapted to your situation.

 

 

Gran Canaria – MAY 2005