Some questions on hearing aids...

summerof0763

salsarla wrote: »

Has anyone here had any luck with access to work in getting private hearing aids?

hiya,do you not like ones you got today? what kind did you get?

salsarla

I didnt get them today, i got them a few months ago, they are the oticon spirit 3, i also rang access to work and they told me that they do fund hearing aids and that i would have to ask my nhs department to confirm that i need them.

Hear-Hear

ATW will fund in theory, but the NHS Department have to be able to produce a written letter of confirmation that the NHS digital hearing aids are not up to the job ! The NHS simply will not issue such a letter.

Sunnyone is correct in practice. The NHS won't issue such a letter, so ATW don't supply the funding. The only other option is going private. Boots and Specsavers seem to be good starting points in terms of price and easy access.

salsarla

Well i spoke to the manager at my local hospital, she said it would be considered depending on the type of employment, so its got to be something where the hearing aids are not suitable, but either way its going to be hard to get.

amalis

Hi all,
I finally got a letter confirming my appointment to fit my first hearing aids in a week time. This appointment is in the morning and timing is quite uncomfortable ,I feel I will have to rush to work straight after fitting. Well, I hear that some people have got an audio shock firsts time having HA. Is it wise to go to work straight after fitting it? I mean, I really would not like to take a whole day off because of this, but I will do that if it is advisable. what do you think?

spugzbunny

Sorry I haven't read all of this thread but amalis ....

I was told to wear my hearing aid for only a few hours for the first few days and gradually build up as it is very strange at first! They also told me not to wear it outside as the background noise can be a massive shock at first.

I just skimmed you earlier posts and you said you've been upset about it. I just wanted to add that when i first got mine I felt so unattractive and almost defective! I am only 27 and losing my hearing in one ear came as a very quick, unexpected shock! The aid I have (on the nhs) is fantastic though and you would never know it was there! Most people are really interested if I do tell them and I joke that in 10years I'll be fully bionic!

Hold your head up high everyone and don't be ashaimed of a little difference!

(Sorry for the spelling!)

amalis

spugzbunny, thank you for your words and advice.
I still can't believe I am actually going to have the hearing aid. I thought I still have time and here it is, so soon my life will change. I was also so passionate about ear rings, have a good collection of them ..but now I dont think I will ever be able to touch them. So so sorry for this moans.
May I ask you wich model you have? Mine will be Phonax behind the ear. The biggest one, not mini.

Errata

amalis wrote: »

Hi all,
I finally got a letter confirming my appointment to fit my first hearing aids in a week time. This appointment is in the morning and timing is quite uncomfortable ,I feel I will have to rush to work straight after fitting. Well, I hear that some people have got an audio shock firsts time having HA. Is it wise to go to work straight after fitting it? I mean, I really would not like to take a whole day off because of this, but I will do that if it is advisable. what do you think?

In your shoes, I would take them out after they'd been fitted and carry on into work as normal. Then put them in when I got home in the evening. Everything will sound very different because you will have forgotten what normal sounds sound like IYSWIM, and also different because you will be hearing everything through hearing aids which can't 'hear' sounds the way a working pair of ears do. Best wishes, please post again if you hit any snags - someone will be along to help.

Savvy_Sue

FWIW I think Errata's advice is very good.

I never wear my aid outdoors ...

Also, don't think you can't wear earrings with hearing aids. The only thing is you might not want noisy dangly ones, IYSWIM. I knew one very deaf lady who always had lovely earrings (I no longer see her, but I'm sure she'd still be wearing them!)

Hear-Hear

amalis

The advice of spugzbunny and Errata is spot on. Take them out after fitting, go to work, and put them back in again at home. It will take time to get used to hearing sounds again, even those that are familiar to you.

Some audiologists do recommend using them all the time from day one, in the belief that it helps you to get used to them more quickly. This can be true for some people, but for the vast majority, a period of gradual acclimatisation is the best approach.

Keep us posted with your progress. There are 9,000,000 in this country who could benefit from hearing aids, but only a small fraction actually do anything about it. So your experience - along with others who post on here from time to time - may well help others who have yet to take the plunge.