Hearing Aid Dispensing and Fitting
Prior to Buying Hearing AidS
Before you invest in hearing aids, we at FOCUS Audiology work with you to make sure you’ve gone through all of the critical steps to determine exactly what the perfect hearing aid solution would be for you. These steps include:
- Getting a thorough ear exam with your primary care doctor or ENT physician to rule-out treatable causes of hearing loss such as infections, medication side-effects, earwax buildup, etc.
- Getting a comprehensive hearing loss evaluation with a highly-trained, reputable audiologist, like those at FOCUS Audiology, to investigate and diagnose the type of hearing loss you are experiencing.
- Having an audiologist work with you to ensure that you understand your condition and are able to jointly make the best selection of hearing aids for yourself with all of the information provided to you by the audiologist.
- Based on your selection, you may have a trial period with your hearing aids. At FOCUS Audiology, our team of hearing aid specialists will help you understand the logistics behind your trial period and what to expect with your new hearing aids so to make sure that you have the right hearing aids for you. New hearing aids take time to adapt to so it is in you best interest to be patient with your new hearing aids before determining whether or not they are right for you.
- Gaining a perspective toward the future entails understanding how your hearing aids may be readjusted to match changes in your hearing loss over the years.
- Checking for a warranty to cover parts and labor as well as professional services. We will work with you to establish how much warranty coverage you will have upon buying your hearing aids.
- At FOCUS Audiology, our audiologists are trained and committed to provide you with real, accurate, and up-to-date clinical information regarding hearing aids. It is imperative that you understand that hearing aids do not restore normal hearing, nor do they fully remove background noises. Be very cautious and wary of claims on advertisements or others who state differently.
Hearing aids, coupled with upgraded features and accessories, can be rather costly and generally require some, if not all, out-of-pocket payment. Our audiologists will work with you to price-out the perfect hearing aids to fit your needs within your budget. You should check with your insurance provider regarding eligibility in obtaining partial financial, or in some instance total, help with hearing aid coverage.
Upon selecting and purchasing your hearing aids, your audiologist will program them as per your particular prescribed clinical need. Your audiologist will then teach you, and any family members or friends that you’ve brought with you, on how to use the hearing aids, put them on and off, change or charge the batteries, and clean and care for them.
Adapting to your hearing aid
Adapting to your new hearing aids can take time, and you may have mixed feelings about the sounds, even your own, that you hear. Be forthcoming and honest about what you feel so that your audiologist can work with you to maximally enhance your hearing experience. Over the course of time, you will become increasingly comfortable with the way the hearing aids deliver clearly and more audible sound to you, and you should notice a gradual improvement in your overall listening skills and what you are hearing through the hearing aids. When obtaining your hearing aids:
- Stay positive and gain support from family, friends, or hearing aid support groups in order to establish successful adaptation to your new hearing aids.
- Follow-up with your audiologist and ENT in order to ensure that your hearing aids are working as best as possible for you over time, that your hearing aids keep being programmed and calibrated to match your hearing loss, and that you get to learn about the latest updates to hearing aid technology and options for you.
- Understand that hearing aids do not correct or return your hearing back to normal, but rather work by amplifying the noise that reaches your ears.
- Be patient with getting used to your hearing aids and use them frequently so to adapt quicker.
- Use the hearing aids in different environments to understand what they sound like in various places.
Success with hearing aids comes in with time, patience, and utilization with the goal being to enhance your ability to listen to and hear noises and actively participate in sound-based communication.
