Even though your loved one was fit with hearing aids, there are still somethings you can do to help them hear you more clearly and increase their satisfaction of wearing them.
First and foremost, your knowledge and understanding of your loved one’s hearing aids are just as important as your loved one’s knowledge and understanding of them. Both of you need to know what to expect while your loved one wears them.
After being fit with hearing aids, your loved one needs to get into the routine of putting them on in the morning, wearing them throughout the day, and putting them on the charger at night. Starting this routine may take some effort from you too. Gentle reminders in the morning to your loved one to put their hearing aids on maybe needed. Also, they may need reminded to charge their hearing aids at night instead of just taking them out and putting them on the dresser before bedtime. Even a gentle reminder to take their hearing aids out before jumping in the shower maybe needed!
You may not need to talk as loudly to your loved one as you once did, but communication strategies still need to be used. Hearing aids will not restore your loved one’s hearing to how they heard back in their 20’s, but they do improve the clarity of speech during conversations. You can help enhance the clarity of your speech by having face to face conversations with reduced background noise. Having a conversation with the back of someone’s head from a different room while the TV is on can even be difficult for someone who does not need hearing aids.
At home maintenance is key to keeping hearing aids in proper working order. Daily cleaning is needed to keep debris away from the microphones and sounds clearly heard. If your loved one is starting to struggle to hear while wearing their hearing aids or mentions they can’t hear from them at all, a cleaning should be done along with a change in the wax trap. When the wax trap of the hearing aid gets filled with wax, sounds and speech are not going to be as clearly or heard at all.
Lastly, attending your loved one’s annual visits at Lemme Audiology Associates can be a big help to them. Annual visits allow your loved one’s Audiologist to detect any changes in their hearing health so adjustments can be made. Annual visits will also allow the Audiologist to understand any problems your loved one is having with their hearing or hearing aids. You may notice a problem with your loved one’s hearing before they realize it themselves. So, getting your perspective is beneficial to our Audiologists. It also gives you the chance to ask questions about your loved one’s hearing aids and even give you the opportunity to have your 15-minute hearing wellness screening completed.
If you have questions about your loved one’s hearing or hearing aids, and you are listed on their HIPAA, don’t hesitate to reach out to use by calling (814) 941-7770. We are always available to help you help your loved one.
