1. < Hearing Loss

How do you manage wearing a facemask with hearing aids?

Posted by lille @lille, Apr 12, 2020

I wear hearing aids that loop over both ears. When I put on a mask, it knocks the aids out of my ears. When I have the mask on and put them back in, it feels uncomfortable. I don't want to go around without the hearing aids. Any suggestions?

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @nurseheadakes "Sure - After my Team worked on a number of different types of masks and used..." + (show)
@nurseheadakes

Sure - After my Team worked on a number of different types of masks and used different types of plastic/vinyl with our sewing machines...we came up with this better mask.
For the window - use the plastic paper sleeves that we all use for school. They come in different weights. The best types are the medium weight since the heavy weight is too much for the sewing machine to go through and the thin is too flimsy for the mask after washing them. You can cut them with your scissors without harm into the sizes appropriate for this pattern that I have attached. See attached file.
This is the video that goes with this pattern:

There is no captioning or words. You will need to watch the video a number of time to get the feel for how to make the mask but after a few times and reading through the written pattern - you will get the hang of how we are making the Clear Windowed mask. One of my pictures - the ironing board one - shows how they look. [This one is fewer steps than the previous one which was 6 pages long!] Eloise

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@nurseheadakes- What a wonderful smile you have! Thank you for sharing this very easy to follow video. I wish that I could so!

REPLY
1 reply
fiesty76 | @fiesty76 | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @julieo4 "Here's a photo of my favorite Starbucks barista with a window mask on. She's my granddaughter,..." + (show)
@julieo4

Here's a photo of my favorite Starbucks barista with a window mask on. She's my granddaughter, who just graduated from college, and is still working there part time. I asked her to wear one that I had, wondering if she would be OK with it. She could hardly wait to use it. FYI, I like the solid colors with the window masks. It's less distracting and a good smile doesn't get lost in the fabric design. 🙂

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@julieo4, What a precious granddaughter! You must be so proud of your lovely, smiling recent college grad!

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @nurseheadakes "Sure - After my Team worked on a number of different types of masks and used..." + (show)
@nurseheadakes

Sure - After my Team worked on a number of different types of masks and used different types of plastic/vinyl with our sewing machines...we came up with this better mask.
For the window - use the plastic paper sleeves that we all use for school. They come in different weights. The best types are the medium weight since the heavy weight is too much for the sewing machine to go through and the thin is too flimsy for the mask after washing them. You can cut them with your scissors without harm into the sizes appropriate for this pattern that I have attached. See attached file.
This is the video that goes with this pattern:

There is no captioning or words. You will need to watch the video a number of time to get the feel for how to make the mask but after a few times and reading through the written pattern - you will get the hang of how we are making the Clear Windowed mask. One of my pictures - the ironing board one - shows how they look. [This one is fewer steps than the previous one which was 6 pages long!] Eloise

Jump to this post

@nurseheadakes- How do you wash these?

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1 reply
joyces | @joyces | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @fiesty76 "Congrats and thanks @joyces for your weekly bread deliveries to the "older" folks. I'm laughing with..." + (show)
@fiesty76

Congrats and thanks @joyces for your weekly bread deliveries to the "older" folks. I'm laughing with you and liking your sense of humor. Age is just a state of mind until our bones start telling us otherwise, yes? Good for you and the work you are doing.

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Reply to fiesty76 about bread deliveries: Actually, I do this to strengthen my bones! All the lifting every week makes for much stronger bones. Due to Meniere's (before I was well enough to go vestibular therapy), I took two really bad falls during the past year, but nothing broke, just a little skin!

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nurseheadakes | @nurseheadakes | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "@nurseheadakes- How do you wash these?" + (show)
@merpreb

@nurseheadakes- How do you wash these?

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In a wash basin - a little Dawn dish washing liquid - swish the mask in the water to get it wet, squish a few times, rinse with clear water and drip dry over night. Can be dried in the sun for a quick dry if you wish - on the cloth line. No washing machine or clothes dryer with the plastic.

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nurseheadakes | @nurseheadakes | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @merpreb "@nurseheadakes- What a wonderful smile you have! Thank you for sharing this very easy to follow..." + (show)
@merpreb

@nurseheadakes- What a wonderful smile you have! Thank you for sharing this very easy to follow video. I wish that I could so!

Jump to this post

Thank you - the mask helps to show that and we need more smiles than frowns. Perhaps you can check around your community to see if there are any ladies who could take up this project and sew some masks for those who need to read lips and keep their hearing aids/CI on their heads instead of on the ground. Its a good talking point with businesses and sewing circles in towns, city halls and houses of worship. Check your library for any lists of groups that have hobbies that may fit this type of service.

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nurseheadakes | @nurseheadakes | Aug 31, 2020
In reply to @fiesty76 "@nurseheadakes, These look like a great solution for those needing this particular type! Kudos!!" + (show)
@fiesty76

@nurseheadakes, These look like a great solution for those needing this particular type! Kudos!!

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Indeed - it is a win-win for everyone. Not just for those of us who are hard of hearing but for those who interact with us. I have been giving them to businesses that care for us as well as those who attend people in assistive living, nursing homes and Home health care businesses and can't keep up. After I take care of the HOH,deaf, next will be the hospice, and front end workers in the dentist offices, clinics and anyone in the hearing aid stores. It has opened the eyes and thoughts to those who have not realized what it is like to be on our side of the aisle. But it certainly has made a difference. And it can in yours.

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ellen307 | @ellen307 | Sep 2, 2020

My friend knitted me 4 inch strip I sewed buttons on each side pulled elastic over buttons on top of my head sure beats losing hearing aids works well

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barbb | @barbb | Sep 2, 2020
In reply to @nurseheadakes "Sure - After my Team worked on a number of different types of masks and used..." + (show)
@nurseheadakes

Sure - After my Team worked on a number of different types of masks and used different types of plastic/vinyl with our sewing machines...we came up with this better mask.
For the window - use the plastic paper sleeves that we all use for school. They come in different weights. The best types are the medium weight since the heavy weight is too much for the sewing machine to go through and the thin is too flimsy for the mask after washing them. You can cut them with your scissors without harm into the sizes appropriate for this pattern that I have attached. See attached file.
This is the video that goes with this pattern:

There is no captioning or words. You will need to watch the video a number of time to get the feel for how to make the mask but after a few times and reading through the written pattern - you will get the hang of how we are making the Clear Windowed mask. One of my pictures - the ironing board one - shows how they look. [This one is fewer steps than the previous one which was 6 pages long!] Eloise

Jump to this post

Terrific little video!

REPLY
nurseheadakes | @nurseheadakes | Sep 2, 2020

It goes with the pattern to make the clear masks.... Join our national movement to make enough clear windowed masks for all of us hard of hearing people.!!!

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