Help for Hearing Impairment

Hear-Hear

cairndog wrote: »

Is this setting the same as the T- coil (loop) setting ?

No, not exactly. It does use some Telecoil functionality, but there's no need to manually access the Telecoil as Autophone is fully automatic

cairndog wrote: »

Maybe because it wasn't corded or my hearing aid wasn't on the correct setting. (The supplier said to use the T-coil setting.)

Sounds more likely that the Audiologist hadn't programmed and activated the Autophone function for your hearing aids. You may need to instruct the Audiologist to do so.

cairndog wrote: »

A compatible corded phone from Argos could be the answer ?

Definitely worth trying, but make sure that Autophone function has been activated on your Siemens Impact aids first.

Hear-Hear

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Was fitted with some musicians ear plugs by Specsavers a few years. I don't wear them because they're a pain to get in and out and hurt my ears. The foam ones I have are a bit rubbish too.

Having had them for "a few years", you need to replace custom-built musician's earplugs every 3 years or so, due to natural degradation of the silicone material and the natural change in the shape of your ears.
(Yes, foam ones are indeed a bit rubbish, but anything's better than nothing at all!)

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Someone did suggest hearing aids and did say there's a setting so that you can't hear anything. I seem to remember a friend mention that their severely deaf son once did this. He doesn't like the sound of lawnmowers; so switches his hearing aids off.

That approach could well work for someone with Severe, Severe-Profound, or Profound hearing loss. Their hearing aids usually have no vents (through which sound can enter the ear). But unlikely to be a viable solution for the majority of hearing aid users with mild or moderate hearing loss. These users usually have vents, which means sounds can and do enter the ear, even if switched to an "off" position.
You can get digital noise supressors (such as CENS), but these are more useful to people like Shooters than Musicians.

Hear-Hear

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

So what's an Edulink Bending Tool? Would that help me get my tube to the right shape, ie one where it stays in my ear rather than falling off when I bend my head forward?

It's an accessory for specific Phonak products Sue, in particular those supplied to schools and children. I have an idea you are no longer a child :bdaycake:, so unlikely to be of use to you.

You'll need to ask your Audiologist to bend and shape any tubes you have to the contours of your own ears, if 'standard' doesn't quite work for you. The tool will allow your audio to 'shape' the tube very precisely to the specific contours of your ears, and it is than blow-heated by a kind of hair-dryer to 'fix' the shape permanently for you.

Savvy_Sue

Hear-Hear wrote: »

It's an accessory for specific Phonak products Sue, in particular those supplied to schools and children. I have an idea you are no longer a child :bdaycake:, so unlikely to be of use to you.

You'll need to ask your Audiologist to bend and shape any tubes you have to the contours of your own ears, if 'standard' doesn't quite work for you. The tool will allow your audio to 'shape' the tube very precisely to the specific contours of your ears, and it is than blow-heated by a kind of hair-dryer to 'fix' the shape permanently for you.

You are right, I am no longer a child, but I am still a mother of students (well one postgrad anyway) so definitely NOT middle aged, despite any appearance to the contrary.

It's since I got the new 'barely there' mould whose technical name I forget. It's very comfy but does tend to fall out, which never happened with the open fit ones, where the tubes appeared to be more within the folds of my ear. This one has very little shape to it.

I know, I know, I need to go back to Audiology.

Savvy_Sue

Back to audiology first thing tomorrow, apparently I probably need a canal lock on my tubing, DH is making comments about how to fit one as they are rather large and full of water ...

Errata

And you will need to pass the lock keeper's examination:D

Savvy_Sue

They have turned my hospital into an airport ... :rotfl:

Fortunately, DH agreed to come with me this morning, because I'm not a morning person and parking can be a nightmare, plus I knew I was going to the new building for the first time.

Their first airport 'thing' was that they don't intend you to drop off outside the main doors of this whizzy new building. You are supposed to park at the far end of the site, and get a shuttle bus down, or walk. Buses run every 10-15 minutes, or it's a 15 minute walk. This may be a temporary thing, until the new car park is built at that end of the site, but clearly they've had second thoughts and there are security staff allowing drop-offs by the main doors after all. I'll know next time, and hopefully allow LOTS more time.

The next 'thing' is that I was accosted by a 'Move-Maker' and asked if I knew where I was going, which I did, sort of, having spotted a board which listed various 'Gates'. I found the layout of these counter-intuitive: I didn't spot an alphabetical list anywhere and the numbers go bottom to top:

36
35
34 etc

which sort of makes sense with the lower ones at the bottom, but not how I expect to read things. However, I'd spotted Audiology and therefore felt that I knew where to go: how to get there was another matter but there were lots of signs up so how hard can it be?

Anyway, I told the Move-Maker I needed to go to Gate 36 and he asked if I had an appt letter from which to scan the barcode, which I didn't, so he said I should sign in on a Welcome Screen, which I attempted to do, but The System couldn't find me.

Which meant I was supposed to go back to the Reception desk I'd just passed. I said no, I knew I needed Audiology and I'd sort it out there, as otherwise I'd be late. I think he was a bit put out by that, but turns out I was right, because when I got there, I found that the staff manning Gate 36 (actually a reception desk) didn't want to know me, and they sent me down a side corridor helpfully labelled 'Audiology' and 'Urology' to an unmanned desk.

Fortunately someone arrived very quickly, took my name and asked me to take a seat. I misunderstood where I was meant to sit and found myself briefly in Urology, but the jugs of water and mention of 'flow tests' alerted me to my error and I went back to the right desk, and found I was supposed to sit and wait in the corridor. Still, it was a nice enough corridor. And I asked if the system not finding me was right and she said yes, because Audiology is run by a different trust and they're not integrated yet.

Then my favourite audiologist arrived and took another impression of my ear, she says she'll try again to get me a sparkly pink mould and this one will have the canal lock mentioned above. And she will post it to me. She says they really like the new dept, and I was very impressed by the double doors on her room which were linked but with a gap between them! (I want to say cantilevered but not sure that's the right word.)

I've only just realised but the room didn't feel 'dead' like the soundproof rooms in the old dept used to.

I escaped and phoned DH, said he absolutely HAD to come and take a look at this place because it was AMAZING. It's lovely, but the acoustics were a bit unsettling for me, I'm a bit sensitive to some spaces and huge high ceilings have an odd effect on me. But there's lots of artwork on the walls and the signage is very good.

And the signs said it was a 15 minute walk to get to the gate I needed, which it certainly wasn't although I suppose if I'd been with my mum it might have taken that long. Sadly the WRVS coffee bar is down that far end, and you have to walk past 2 Costas to get there - they really have stitched up hospital catering, haven't they?

Fortunately having said I'd meet DH at Costa I was then able to find the 'right' Costa, and we wandered up and down the corridor looking at the artwork and admiring the garden, which has inside and outside bits.

The loos are lovely ...

And I will let you all know how I get on with the Canal Lock in my ear, when it arrives.

Errata

Lovely story Sue, I thought for a minute you were describing my local hospital:rotfl:
Thank goodness my primary care practice has taken a contract with a private company for hearing tests and aid supply, much more professional service and far less impact on my blood pressure.

Indie_Kid

Some of my sensitivity to noise has recently gone down with a few exceptions. Great. But it seems that I have a new problem hearing noises. Ho hum. Back to GP and possibly audiology again. Just hope they sort out the appointments properly this time. (Was meant to see ENT to discuss audiology findings. ENT appointment was before audiology)

littlemoney

I would apprecite some assistance please with this before I spend a lot of money.

One of my hobbies involves dancing where I need to be able to hear instructions from a stage and the caller is using an amplifier and speakers. I could be anywhere in the hall I was wondering if a bluetooth system would help as at times I cannot hear or mishear what was said. I am on the verge of giving up dancing and socialising as I also can't hear when I am out with a group or sitting at a table with a group having a meal.

I currently have Oticon Spirit Zest and my local NHS will supply an oticon bluetooth hearing aid and I am hoping someone more knowledgeable than my myself can tell me if bluetooth will be the answer as I don't understand it very well. I also hope to be able to use bluetooth to improve my ability to hear the TV and radio.

I see that there a a number bluetooth devices on the market, can I choose anyone or does it have to be the oticon make. Sorry to be rather vague but I really don't undertsatnd the technology and I just want to be able to get out more and enjoy life. Thanks for reading this.