Overview of the Initial Process
The Hearing Evaluation and Consultation
Adjusting to A Better Life with Hearing Aids
Relearning to Hear/ Aural Rehabilitation
Things to Consider in the Decision and Counseling Process
Your Hearing Loss Characteristics
Warranty and Service Information
Overview of the Initial Process
The Hearing Evaluation and Consultation
We are more than happy to provide you with a complimentary Hearing Evaluation and Consultation, which will take about one hour. Contact us to set the appointment. Make sure to bring a spouse or close friend with you, as their input, their support, and having their voice available for use in testing heaing aids in the office is extremely helpful.
Your ears need to be clear of wax for the test and for ear impressions, so if you get wax buildup, you may want to do an over-the-counter ear wash, such as Debrox or Murene (sold in most drugstores near eyedrops). You should consult an Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor before doing an ear wash on your own. The ENT can also remove wax for you.
After the Evaluation, the Hearing Aid Dispenser will explain the results, provide insight as to possible causes and types of hearing loss, and answer any questions that you may have. If you have a hearing loss that would benefit from the use of amplification, the Hearing Aid Dispenser will provide a professional recommendation as to the hearing help that is best for you. Hearing aids generally cost $1000-$7500 per pair. During your Consultation, the Hearing Aid Dispenser will give you specific pricing on the devices that they are recommending based on your individual needs. You will then decide if you’re ready to get the hearing help.
You sign a Purchase Agreement, we take impressions if necessary, and we order the instruments. It takes anywhere from one to three weeks for us to receive everything, and we call you as soon as we do to set your fitting appointment. You may pay the balance in full upon purchase, or you may break it up into three payments as follows: 1/3 of the full amount due as a deposit at the time you decide to purchase, 1/3 upon delivery of the devices, then the final balance at the end of the trial. If you have insurance coverage, we can bill your insurance first, then you would pay any remaining balance once the claim is processed. We also offer financing. At the time that you purchase, you don’t need to feel 100% sure about your decision. As long as you have acklowledged that you need the hearing help, and you are motivated to give them an honest try, it is worthwhile to purchase them on the 30 day trial basis (you won’t know until you try). Within the trial period, if for any reason you decide to return, you may do so with a full refund, or you can exchange them for different devices.
The Hearing Aid Dispenser will fit you with the instruments, which will take about one hour. They will program/adjust the volume, as well as any other features or settings within the devices’ capabilities. It happens, but it is generally not realistic to expect perfection upon the initial fitting, so follow up appointments are crucial.
The Hearing Aid Dispenser will also review the basics such as insertion/removal, batteries, storage, care, maintenance, consistent use, realistic expectations, and all of the other items you’ll need to know to get started.
Adjusting to A Better Life with Hearing Aids
You have a 30-day trial period, which is important, as it allows us time to provide counseling and adjustments and to complete verification measures. It also gives you time to get used to everything and to use the instruments in your real-world environments. Getting hearing help is a journey, and it requires teamwork between the Hearing Aid Dispenser, you, and the people around you to ensure that you achieve the highest level of improvement possible.
Depending on your progress and experiences with the aids, throughout the trial period, you will come in about two to four times after the initial fitting. Part of the trial consists of adjustments and counseling on our part. Another very important component to the trial is your individual ability to adjust to hearing and processing sounds in a very different way than what you are likely used to. It also takes time to get used to insertion and removal of the devices, caring for them, and wearing them consistently. Depending on your residual ability to hear and understand, the severity of your loss, and how long you have had a loss without getting hearing help, it may take longer for some versus others to acclimate. As the days and weeks go by, you will become more and more comfortable with both the physical fit of the instruments and the way things sound.
Overall improvement and satisfaction is confirmed at the end of the trial through verification tests, as well as through your expressed perception of the experience. The end of the trial by no means is the end of our service. We are still here to provide ongoing care, and we urge you to come in at least twice a year for preventative maintenance, even if you are not experiencing any issues. All new aids come with warranties that may cover manufacturer repair, loss and damage, and in-office services. Those warranties are usually for 1-2 years, depending on the devices that are purchased. You have the option to renew your warranty once your initial warranty is approaching expiration.
Relearning to Hear/ Aural Rehabilitation
In using hearing aids for the first time or in upgrading to new aids, your brain has to relearn how to process sounds that are different from what they’re used to due to the complex range of frequencies in human speech, as well as in all of the other sounds of daily life.
Your voice may sound different at first. Also, hearing in situations with background noise should improve, but probably not as much as hearing in quiet places. Improvement in background noise is highly related to the level of technology that you choose to purchase. You might begin to notice things like the hum of household appliances or the chirping of a cricket. You may be delighted to hear some sounds, and you may wish that you could hand-select others to block out. Again, these sounds will draw your focus less and less with consistent use.
Research suggests that speech comprehension increases over a period of several months after first using hearing instruments. The longer and more consistently you wear the aids, the clearer and more natural sounds will seem. If you only allow your ears and brain to process sounds in the new way (with the hearing aids in) some of the time and then allow them to return to their “comfort zone” (with the hearing aids out), your acclimation progress will be slower and your success and perceived improvement will be more limited.
It is extremely important to utilize proper and effective communication all of the time, but it becomes even more necessary when interacting with those who have difficulty hearing or who are still adjusting to new hearing devices.
- Get the other person’s attention before you begin speaking.
- Face them. Avoid talking from another room or with your back turned away.
- Speak clearly, speak at a reasonable pace, and be expressive.
- Speak in a volume that’s comfortable for the intended listener (if someone wears hearing aids, shouting at them may be uneccessary and bothersome).
- Avoid chewing, smoking, reading the newspaper, or leaning your cheek on your hand while talking.
- If others are having trouble understanding you, try rephrasing your sentence rather than just repeating yourself.
- Always eliminate as much background noise as possible. You should also lessen the distance between you and the listener and make sure to speak louder than normal in noisier situations.
- Move closer to your listener so your voice is louder than the background noise.
Things to Consider in the Decision and Counseling Process
Your Hearing Loss Characteristics
The severity of your loss and your ability to understand speech, coupled with the amount of time you’ve had a hearing loss without help, may place limits on the amount of improvement you can expect and on the amount of time it takes you to get used to the devices. Your natural ability to understand also plays a major role in what can be expected from the instruments. This information helps us to choose the appropriate devices, and to set up realistic expectations.
We’ll talk with you to define your needs and preferences. We evaluate what situations cause you the most difficulty, and what listening environments you tend to be exposed to. There are many choices available for both the style of the hearing aids (how they look on the outside) and the technology (the internal electronics and features). We are not in the business of selling you the most advanced technology with the highest price tag if that is not what you need.
Hearing instruments may have manual volume and/or program controls, and/or they may automatically adjust as the environment around you changes. There are also many accessory devices like remotes, FM Systems, and devices that allow you to connect wirelessly to phone, TV, music, and more. The instruments may have multiple microphones to filter out background noise and facilitate conversation. There are numerous features in the device and in the software that focus on speech, react to loud noises, and many others that help the Specialist to address issues you may run into in your daily life. Basically, the higher you go in technology, the higher the cost (and for good reason). This is because the more advanced the technology, the better equipped the devices are to handle complicated listening environments, especially those with background noise. Also, we are able to be more efficient in programming your aids in the software and can be more minute in our adjustments when working with a more advanced technology.
Again, a basic or mid-level of technology device may be perfect for you – if the latest and greatest technology is more than what you need, then that is not what we would recommend for you. Again, we take multiple factors into account in deciding the level of technology that is right for you.
Physical factors also influence the process of selecting a hearing instrument. The shape and size of the outer ear and ear canal can make wearing certain styles difficult for some individuals.
If you have a hearing loss in just one ear, or if one of your ears has such a profound loss that it would not benefit from amplification, you may only need one hearing instrument. It is much more common, however, that there is an aidable loss in both ears, so a binaural (two-ear) approach tends to be most effective. If two hearing aids are needed and you choose to get both, you will likely be better able to distinguish between sounds, to determine which direction a sound is coming from, and to have a better perception of balance. Also, speech understanding tends to be much better when both ears are working together. In addition, some of the benefits of today's digital technology are only possible with a binaural system. Most new hearing aid wearers opt for dual hearing instruments. As a group, these wearers report a higher level of satisfaction than those who purchase a single instrument.
The smallest hearing instruments are the most discreet, but they can also be more difficult to work with when it comes to insertion and removal, cleaning/care, and changing the batterires. If you experience vision and/or dexterity challenges, you may want to consider a larger device, and possibly try one that adjusts automatically.
Some instruments fit behind your ear, while others fit in your ear without anything that goes behind the ear. Some are fairly visible, and some are completely hidden. Keep in mind that your hearing loss is almost always much more noticeable to others than your hearing aids. However, if appearance is important to you, we will find the most descreet device that will meet your needs.
Your hearing aids are much more than plastic casing that houses electronic parts and circuitry. It's an investment in your quality of life through improving ease of communication, and , therefore, your ability to fully participate in your relationships, work, and many other activities. Most times, getting the hearing help is not only a gift to yourself, but is also a gift to everyone around you.
Hearing instruments are non-taxable, and generally cost anywhere from $1,000 to $7,500 per pair, depending on multiple factors. This is why it is so important to come in for a full consulation if you are wanting to find out what’s best for you. We analyze everything that we learn about you through visually inpecting your ears, testing your hearing, and discussing your priorities, needs, budget and expectations. Taking all of that into account, we can then provide you with a specific recommendation as to which manufacturer, style, level of technology, pricing, and features are right for you.
Many people experience an initial “sticker shock” when they first learn the cost of hearing aids. It’s important to keep in mind that purchasing hearing aids at Center for Better Hearing Aids includes much more than the devices and the warranty. The service and expertise of the office that you choose to go to and the Hearing Aid Dispenser that helps you can make or break your experience. Unlike something like a car or a TV where you purchase a costly item from a reatiler and maybe never see the person who helped you again, hearing aids require both initial and follow-up care from a professional.
So, the performance of your instruments, as well as your perceived level of improvement and satisfaction, largely depend on the knowledge, expertise, counseling, and service of one of our licenced Hearing Aid Dispensers. Our time is included in your purchase, and we take pride in making sure that you get the proper programming, counseling, tools, and ongoing service. We do everything we can to make your experience as thorough and seamless as possible, keeping you informed every step of the way.
Warranty and Service Information
When you come in to see us, we can discuss…
- Length of Warranty
- Warranty Renewal
- Details about what is covered
- Loaner Hearing Aids
- Follow-up Care
- Battery Program
