Fit and Follow Up: Key Components in Hearing Aid User Satisfaction
Buying hearing aids is not like buying a flat
screen TV. Hearing aids are not
just electronic devices, but rather a rehabilitative treatment that requires
long-term commitment to their use. Understanding this fact, and that fit and follow up are equally as important as the hearing aid itself, will go a long
way toward your satisfaction with your purchase. That is why the hearing
professional you choose is so important (see our Hearing Aid Lafayette Indiana location).
His or her skills at programming, fitting and follow up counseling are
keys to your successful adjustment to hearing aids.
Fitting: The programming of your new hearing
aids should not only reflect the results of your audiogram, but should take
into consideration your personal preferences to ensure your hearing is natural
sounding and optimal. Tests should
be completed during the fitting phase to verify that speech understanding has
improved. In other words, improvement
in overall communication effectiveness should be the ultimate goal of the
fitting process.
Follow up: Follow
up care also plays a crucial role in your level of satisfaction. In the July 2009 Consumer
Reports article, ‘Hear Well in a
Noisy World,’ the author points out how critical it is that the Audiologist
explains
what you should expect during the adjustment period. He or she should also:
·
Demonstrate how to insert and remove the battery
·
Review how to clean and store the aid
·
Help you practice putting the aid into your ear
·
Help you practice using all switches and controls
·
Help you practice using the telephone while wearing it.
Additionally, your Audiologist should set a follow
up appointment within a few weeks of receiving your hearing aids and outline a
routine care and maintenance schedule. This maintenance schedule should include
clearly-defined daily cleaning processes, suggestions for extending battery
life, 6-month “clean and check” appointments and an annual hearing test to
gauge your hearing health and whether or not your hearing aids need to be
reprogrammed.
Should you have any questions, please contact our Hearing Aid Lafayette Indiana location to speak to Audiologist Sandy Bratton at 888-888-DIZZY (3499).
