Connect
← Return to Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Discussion
Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others
Hearing Loss | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (1531)Comment receiving replies
I have been wearing hearing aides for 11 years. I do find myself not wanting to go into crowded places. I work in an elementary school and not quite able to retire yet, but I really struggle with hearing little kids. I really hope that I can keep working and will not be forced to retire early because of my hearing loss.
I got new hearing aides, lots of bells and whistles that either don’t work or I have not been taught on how to use them. Mt neighbor has the same brand as mine and won’t even connect them to her phone because it is hard to use at first. We need someone to teach us how to use the apps and how to program them.
Replies to "I have been wearing hearing aides for 11 years. I do find myself not wanting to..."
Connect
It helps to share experiences, so I'm sharing one of mine with you. My progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been a part of my life for a long time. I taught elementary school physical education. I retired over 15 years ago. During the last few years of teaching, I had the advantage of using a handheld microphone that worked with my hearing aids. This was before BlueTooth devices were readily available. It worked extremely well to help me understand those small kid's voices. The kids helped me. They thought it was cool to speak into my microphone and would often ask if they could hold it. There were many teaching moments for me, and I hope I helped many children understand that hearing loss can be helped. Some of them asked questions so they could help family members.
Today's high quality hearing aids can do more than what I had available thenb, but you have to be willing to learn how to use the apps. You may also need to purchase the add on assistive technology that will help you. Nearly every hearing instrument brand has an extension mike available.
It bothers me deeply that the people who fit and sell hearing aids do not take the time needed to counsel their clients/patients. It should be mandatory. We live in a world that embraces technology, therefore it should be explained thoroughly so it can be utilized. The hearing aids of today are far more sophisticated than they were even a decade ago. Insist that your provider show you how to use those apps. I hope they will find that time. No guarantees though.
It helps tremendously to get together with other people who are in the same boat as you are; those who are hard of hearing who have gone through similar experiences. It's amazing how much we can learn together. If there is an HLAA Chapter in your area, check it out. It's even worth driving a distance for. Some chapters hold hybrid meetings that allow people to participate on Zoom. Learn more at http://www.hearingloss.org Check under 'chapters'.
Participating in HLAA gave me my life back. A joy now is being able to help others. You can do this! And keep on telling the pros that they should be doing more to teach people how to get the most out of those expensive hearing instruments! We do have to help ourselves, but they should be helping us more than they do.