Help for Hearing Impairment

wewanthelp

I have been applying for several jobs and on the application form it asks if I am disabled. I have bilateral hearing loss on all levels and I am supposed to wear two hearing aids. What do I put yes or no?

naf123

wewanthelp wrote: »

I have been applying for several jobs and on the application form it asks if I am disabled. I have bilateral hearing loss on all levels and I am supposed to wear two hearing aids. What do I put yes or no?

I had that issue.

If I dont state I am deaf - they will for sure consider me like any other candiate

If I do state - I worry I'll be discriminated


However,

If I dont state, then they find out, they will be upset I didn't tell the truth, and they will be thinking how many other secrets I do have?

If I do state, hopefully they appreicate my honesty and put the best system in place to help me.

Hear-Hear

naf123: I'm sure it would not be right for me to recommend a specific private audiologist on here, even knowing your general location. Much depends on the quality and expertise of the actual audiologist that you see, and importantly, your own long-term relationship with him/her. It's a very subjective thing. However, I would certainly recommend that you visit at least two, if not three, and judge for yourself whether you feel you were treated courteously and professionally, and whether you felt in any way pressurised into commiting or purchasing on the day. If you are, then walk away. A good experienced private audiologist will always take time to fully explain your options and will always be happy for you to take your thoughts away to consider at your own pace. As a starter, it might be worth asking your GP or Practice Nurse if they know of any good experiences received by their patients. Alternatively, contact either or both of the two major 'High Street' brands plus at least one smaller (independent?) audiologist. Avoid audiologists who come to your home.

Profound losses (95dBHL and below) are difficult. Your expectations of what any hearing aids can do at that level need to be realistic. Actually, that's a darned good question - what will the hearing aids do for me and what should I not expect - to ask of your shortlisted audiologists. Judge the honesty of their answer, and you are unlikely to go wrong.

wewanthelp: There is no requirement to put "Yes" just because you have hearing loss, in exactly the same way as there is no requirment to do so just because one has a vision impairment or wears glasses. However, if you consider yourself "disabled" by your hearing loss (or indeed by an eyesight defect) then you should answer in the affirmative. At interview, if you have answered in the negative, it may well become apparent anyway, and you can simply explain that (like with glasses) you do not consider yourself "disabled" in any way.

naf123

Hear-Hear wrote: »

naf123: I'm sure it would not be right for me to recommend a specific private audiologist on here, even knowing your general location. Much depends on the quality and expertise of the actual audiologist that you see, and importantly, your own long-term relationship with him/her. It's a very subjective thing. However, I would certainly recommend that you visit at least two, if not three, and judge for yourself whether you feel you were treated courteously and professionally, and whether you felt in any way pressurised into commiting or purchasing on the day. If you are, then walk away. A good experienced private audiologist will always take time to fully explain your options and will always be happy for you to take your thoughts away to consider at your own pace. As a starter, it might be worth asking your GP or Practice Nurse if they know of any good experiences received by their patients. Alternatively, contact either or both of the two major 'High Street' brands plus at least one smaller (independent?) audiologist. Avoid audiologists who come to your home.

Profound losses (95dBHL and below) are difficult. Your expectations of what any hearing aids can do at that level need to be realistic. Actually, that's a darned good question - what will the hearing aids do for me and what should I not expect - to ask of your shortlisted audiologists. Judge the honesty of their answer, and you are unlikely to go wrong.

wewanthelp: There is no requirement to put "Yes" just because you have hearing loss, in exactly the same way as there is no requirment to do so just because one has a vision impairment or wears glasses. However, if you consider yourself "disabled" by your hearing loss (or indeed by an eyesight defect) then you should answer in the affirmative. At interview, if you have answered in the negative, it may well become apparent anyway, and you can simply explain that (like with glasses) you do not consider yourself "disabled" in any way.

thanks for your answer.

I am susprised to hear that the high street can tailor for profoundly deaf people - i thought they were more geared to the hard of hearing market.

Savvy_Sue

wewanthelp wrote: »

I have been applying for several jobs and on the application form it asks if I am disabled. I have bilateral hearing loss on all levels and I am supposed to wear two hearing aids. What do I put yes or no?

naf123 wrote: »

I had that issue.

If I dont state I am deaf - they will for sure consider me like any other candiate

If I do state - I worry I'll be discriminated


However,

If I dont state, then they find out, they will be upset I didn't tell the truth, and they will be thinking how many other secrets I do have?

If I do state, hopefully they appreicate my honesty and put the best system in place to help me.

Depends why they are asking. If they are a 'two ticks' employer then they should, if you meet all the Essential parts of the person spec, guarantee an interview to you if you say you are disabled. Also they can check whether you need any 'adjustments' at interview.

I would say it was unlikely that an employer would have that question in order to discriminate AGAINST disabled people.

We don't offer that guarantee, but information about any declared disability wouldn't be seen by the shortlisting panel, so you'd get a fair crack at the job. If we did interview, we'd look at what you'd said and see if we needed make adjustments, eg layout of room, good lighting etc.

naf123 wrote: »

thanks for your answer.

I am susprised to hear that the high street can tailor for profoundly deaf people - i thought they were more geared to the hard of hearing market.

I know a couple of people who have gone private despite being profoundly deaf, and it's helped enormously. In fact one of them is back trying the NHS again but isn't finding them as good. Mind you they do pay a lot of money, which pays for superb aftercare.

sueturnersmith

I love my hearing loss!

I haven't read all this thread, and have lots of health and mobility problems, but my hearing loss is the least of my worries.

I was born with a hearing loss in the 1940s, and was assessed at a school for the deaf when I was about 8 years old, but wasn't considered bad enough to attend the school for the profoundly deaf, which was all that was available back then, so I had no help other than to advise me to sit at the front of the class!

I am now in my early sixties, am severely deaf. I have 2 hearing aids, on the NHS. I was given 2 analog aids, and then later 2 digital aids, but the dog got one of them, so I now wear one digital and one analog aid. Do you think I could ask for another digital aid? Neither aid really helps me to hear as much as I think I should be able to hear!

But it is wonderful to be able to unplug my hearing aids at night, and switch off from the rest of the world to have a decent night's sleep!

Savvy_Sue

sueturnersmith wrote: »

I am now in my early sixties, am severely deaf. I have 2 hearing aids, on the NHS. I was given 2 analog aids, and then later 2 digital aids, but the dog got one of them, so I now wear one digital and one analog aid. Do you think I could ask for another digital aid? Neither aid really helps me to hear as much as I think I should be able to hear!

You could ask. It's possible they'll charge you for the one the dog chewed, but the one I lost was only £70 - I realise this may be a lot for you, but I didn't think it was too bad, and it was my own fault!

I wonder if you've had your ears tested regularly since you got the digital aids? And if you got them properly set up (which can, as I know, take a few visits!)

I'm not in a position to say whether one digital and one analogue would 'work', but I can't help thinking it would be better to have a matching pair.

sueturnersmith wrote: »

But it is wonderful to be able to unplug my hearing aids at night, and switch off from the rest of the world to have a decent night's sleep!

:rotfl: or when a child cries or screams on the bus, according to my mother!

naf123

good news.

Went to a private audiologist. Wow. He insisted on the naida IX UP. I warned him I tired the V on the NHS and it was awful. He told me to at least try the IX with him. He says its a long process as I need to slowly adjust from analogoue type setting to ditigal.

wow. simply breathtaking awesome - POWERFUL!!. finally. I realise - its not what hearing aid, its how good your audiologist it.

Then after one hour trying it out, he told me the price....it was shocking £1600 per aid! I said I'll pay an deposit and will meet again next week.

I have sent him an email asking him to consider a long term installment payment scheme, because thats probably the only way I can pay if the trial is successful.

What do others do when it comes to paying for private hearing aids?

Hear-Hear

For a Phonak Niada IX, the price you have been quoted seems very reasonable indeed. In broad terms, the basic Niada III should be costing you around £750.00/£850.00 each, the mid-range Niada V should be around £1,150.00/£1,250.00 each, ad the premium Niada IX around £1,650.00/£1,750.00 each.

Make no mistake, not all hearing aids are the same. There is a HUGE HUGE difference between the Naida V and the Naida IX, as you obviously noticed when you tried the Naida IX compared to what you had before. Phonak is certainly one of the better manfacturers IMO, and if it's within your budget, then go for it. As I said, you'll struggle to find better value without compromising on service/aftercare/etc. I am assuming, of course, that you are dealing with a local audiologist who has a physical bricks-and-mortar presence that you can visit whenever necessary. If you are dealing with a 'home visit' company, you may find them a lot less interested in your aftercare, tweaks, and adjustments.

Hope this helps.

Errata

Errata wrote: »

In four weeks time I will be the happy user of a pair of these :j:j:j

Oh no I won't :mad: and it's just as well MSE censors swear words

I got my Siemens Impact DP hearers today to replace my old Opticon Spirit 3P ones.
The tekkie took quite a long time to set them up, he said he was having problems with the computer. When he'd finished I told him I couldn't hear very well with them and couldn't hear sibilants at all! He turned up the sibiliants so I could, turned up the volume so it was a bit better - but not that much.

I can 'sense' that the sound quality is better, but...........
I have to turn the car radio up a lot further to be able to hear it
I normally have the telly on 25% of possible volume, now even 100% isn't loud enough
I can't use my BT phone that has an induction loop
I can only just hear my own footfall on the pavement
My Connevan mobile phone is still ok with no difference from the old hearers

So........... have been testing this, that and the other with new Siemens and have discovered I can hear everything far better with the old Opticons. To make it even worse - I can hear everthing better with my ancient analogue hearers than the new Siemens ones !
And....... to add insult to injury - the new moulds are hard plastic, which I haven't had for 15 years; the right one is giving me earache, the left one jaw ache.

The tekkie wanted to hang on to my old Opticon aids but I pointed out they belonged to another hospital Trust, not his, so he handed them back to me. Just as well in the circumstances.

I'm not a happy bunny as I feel like I've lost half my hearing in the twinkle of an eye. So - that's me on the phone first thing Monday morning for an urgent appointment with audiology.
What on earth are these people on :rotfl::rotfl: