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Some questions on hearing aids...

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  • I-Owe-You
    I-Owe-You Posts: 497 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 100 Posts
    Just wanted to say hello to the OP. I'm deaf and 24 too... extremely vain and self conscious of my hearing aids, despite having the discrete in ear ones.

    I wish I had the confidence a lot of you have to be more open about my deafness. I find my deafness embarrassing and I wish I didn't... i think my reasons for being so recluse is because when I was initially diagnosed (as a teenager at 19!...imagine that!..I was locked in my room for days!) ...the ENT specialised described my type of hearing loss (sensori neural deafness) as "like what older people have" ... which has stuck with me.

    No one in my circle of friends is deaf, and I've never personally known any teenagers or 20 somethings to have a hearing impairment, which I think makes it harder to deal with.

    I do see a hearing therapist now which helps a little, although her advise to wear a "SPEAK UP IM DEAF" badge made me want to run out of the room and not come back.

    If it helps; I wear the tiny discrete Siemens in-ear aids (sorry not sure of the exact serial number)...I do find these great for my vanity, but as they have no loop induction capabilities it is a bit of a pain when in the post office or at the cinema...
  • Savvy_Sue wrote: »
    Would a cochlear implant help at all? They do them for adults not just children.
    i will be honest i have never been offered one,but never see anyone apart from audiologist who never seems to have time to spare
    Hear-Hear wrote: »
    Amalis

    When your new hearing aids set-up is being explained to you, make sure that your audiologist programmes it for you with an ‘Autophone’ programme. This will ensure that you don’t get feedback (that annoying whistling sound) when you bring the phone near to your ear.

    The Hearing Aid Compatible phones that sunnyone mentions are a must !

    If you do eventually decide to go for CIC’s, make sure you are fully aware of the limitations of that size of aid – no telecoil for instance, and no directional microphones. And … a greater likelihood of breakdown/repairs due to the position in the ear canal. Think in terms of ITC rather than CIC at least.


    Summerof0763

    Have to you ever contacted the Sensory Impairment Unit within your local County Council ? They will loan equipment such as Screen Phones, and help explain how TypeTalk works etc. You don not have to pay for the kit itself. BTW, one big advantage of using TypeTalk (now known as Text Relay) is that you get to dial unique numbers at places like your Bank, Utility, Council, and some commercial organisations too (even ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ has a unique number for Type Talk/Text Relay users)…. So, no more being put on hold or waiting for hours for phones to answer ! TypeTalk/TextRelay calls take a lot longer (obviously), but at least one phone line supplier [BT] has a super discount scheme in place for calls going through the TypeTalk prefixes 18001/18002, of around 60% off the cost of the call. Not sure what the score is with the likes of Virgin, TalkTalk and the rest.
    mmm i think the fact i have been deaf for the best part of 46yrs i think i have slipped through the net!! i have never heard of sensory impairment unit,do you just phone local council?? must admit i am getting increasingly frustrated with aid i have as phone is a total nightmare,ones i had before xmas i could hear great on phone,argh!!

    I-Owe-You wrote: »
    Just wanted to say hello to the OP. I'm deaf and 24 too... extremely vain and self conscious of my hearing aids, despite having the discrete in ear ones.

    I wish I had the confidence a lot of you have to be more open about my deafness. I find my deafness embarrassing and I wish I didn't... i think my reasons for being so recluse is because when I was initially diagnosed (as a teenager at 19!...imagine that!..I was locked in my room for days!) ...the ENT specialised described my type of hearing loss (sensori neural deafness) as "like what older people have" ... which has stuck with me.

    No one in my circle of friends is deaf, and I've never personally known any teenagers or 20 somethings to have a hearing impairment, which I think makes it harder to deal with.

    I do see a hearing therapist now which helps a little, although her advise to wear a "SPEAK UP IM DEAF" badge made me want to run out of the room and not come back.

    If it helps; I wear the tiny discrete Siemens in-ear aids (sorry not sure of the exact serial number)...I do find these great for my vanity, but as they have no loop induction capabilities it is a bit of a pain when in the post office or at the cinema...
    lol i have no confidence even now and been deaf nearly all my life,argh badge would be a nightmare,as its not that you want people to speak up,its speak clearly,amazing how many people mumble or cover there mouth so you cannot see what they are saying,question what does hearing therapist do? again never heard of them
    i came into the world with nothing,and guess what? i still have it!!!:p
  • Errata
    Errata Posts: 38,230 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    mmm i think the fact i have been deaf for the best part of 46yrs i think i have slipped through the net!! i have never heard of sensory impairment unit,do you just phone local council??

    Phone the council's main number and ask the operator to put you through to the Social Work Team for Deaf and Hearing Impaired (often called by some people the Deaf Social Work Team :D). They will assess you themselves for aids and adaptations, or refer you to the local voluntary sector organisation that has the contract and they will do the assessment and supply all manner of gadgets and gizmos if you need them, and will give you all the support you need in using them. Everything will be free and 'on loan' for as long as you need it or until they offer you an even better replacement. Good luck.
    .................:)....I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on ...:)
  • Errata wrote: »
    Phone the council's main number and ask the operator to put you through to the Social Work Team for Deaf and Hearing Impaired (often called by some people the Deaf Social Work Team :D). They will assess you themselves for aids and adaptations, or refer you to the local voluntary sector organisation that has the contract and they will do the assessment and supply all manner of gadgets and gizmos if you need them, and will give you all the support you need in using them. Everything will be free and 'on loan' for as long as you need it or until they offer you an even better replacement. Good luck.
    thanks for this,will need to wait till one of daughters free to phone for me,as still got the nightmare buzzing in aid,waiting on audiologist phoning with app for me.
    can i ask does anyone here have profound deafness and do you get dla,just have heard its a nightmare to get for deafness and curious to know if anyone has suceeded in receiving it.i know its not what you have,but how it affects you,but basically i go nowhere outside alone,as traffic a nightmare,shop assistants a nightmare,phone now a nightmare my list goes on lol
    i came into the world with nothing,and guess what? i still have it!!!:p
  • sunnyone
    sunnyone Posts: 4,716 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    thanks for this,will need to wait till one of daughters free to phone for me,as still got the nightmare buzzing in aid,waiting on audiologist phoning with app for me.
    can i ask does anyone here have profound deafness and do you get dla,just have heard its a nightmare to get for deafness and curious to know if anyone has suceeded in receiving it.i know its not what you have,but how it affects you,but basically i go nowhere outside alone,as traffic a nightmare,shop assistants a nightmare,phone now a nightmare my list goes on lol

    Im severe/profound in my left lug and profound in my right and get DLA but nothing to do with my deafness (Im a full time wheelchair user) but I do know others that have tried to claim for deafness and if you are verbal its quiet hard to get but it has been establised that hearing is a bodily function, this was done in a womans test case and I cant remember the details at present but I`ll try and remember it.

    I would apply and low rate mobility might apply if you cant go out unsupervised.
  • Hear-Hear
    Hear-Hear Posts: 325 Forumite
    Summerof0763

    Your question re Sensory Impairment/Social Work Team for Deaf and Hearing Impaired/Deaf Social Work Team has been comprehensively answered by Errata. The folks there are likely to be really really good. They have a budget to spend, and they must spend it or else their funds are cut the following year. Harsh realities, I'm afraid, but works in your favour as they will do their utmost to provide whatever equipment you may need.

    To answer the question in your second post, My OH (she is in mid-40's) has severe-profound sensori-neural loss, and she was granted the lower level rate. Applying for DLA was fairly straightforward. You simply and concisely describe how it affects you rather than making a simple statement that you have a 'disability', but I think you have pretty well said as much already in your second post. Those who are not granted DLA tend to be those who expect it as some sort of 'right', and those who cannot justify what the extra money would actually be used for. Give some thought to that - what difference would DLA funding make for you.

    It's wortwhile, too, asking your audiologist to add supporting information to your application. BTW, my OH has a bus pass too ! You should see the faces on the OAP's as she flashes her card each time. icon8.gif (Think how people glare at blue badge holders when they skip merrily out of their cars to get an idea.... it's what you can't see that matters of course). Good luck with your application.
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,308 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It may be worth looking on the local council's website to see if you can find an email address for the Sensory Needs Team (as they may be called!) - mine has email addresses for all departments, and it's a bit of a no-brainer to be able to email such a team if you can't hear on the phone!
    Signature removed for peace of mind
  • savvy sue,have emailed council,now need to wait and see what happens,thanks
    i came into the world with nothing,and guess what? i still have it!!!:p
  • salsarla
    salsarla Posts: 12 Forumite
    Has anyone here had any luck with access to work in getting private hearing aids?
  • sunnyone
    sunnyone Posts: 4,716 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    salsarla wrote: »
    Has anyone here had any luck with access to work in getting private hearing aids?

    They dont fund them anymore, not since the NHS started supplying them as standard.
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