Would you like to be able to program your own hearing aids?

I would dearly like to see this, but it'll only happen if you make your views known.

Email us on rjd@hearingchecktoday.co.uk

RECENT GENUINE QUOTE COMPARISONS

Would you believe it?!

The widex model 'Passion' selling at a mere £8200 sterling and exactly the same product in the same country - for £2999???? Perfectly true and STAGGERING.

and another, truly amazing... a pair of GnResound DOT 10 for £495 or £3200? take your pick...

Tha advice is clear. SHOP AROUND. PLEASE.

Health Insurance contributions to Hearing Aid costs

Did you know that LEEDS HOSPITAL FUND (part of the SimplyHealth Group) will give you £400 - £740 towards the cost of your private hearing aids?

And Sovereign Health will give you between £100 and £400!
and the old Wakefield Hospital Group, a princely £40
Please check your health plan now if you're looking to buy hearing aids.

A collection of useful links

Visit the Saga Website: http://www.saga.co.uk/
Visit the Fifty Plus Website: http://www.fiftyplus.co.uk/
Visit the Sesame Access Website: http://www.wheelchairaccess.co.uk/
Visit the Disabled Workers Co-Operative Website: http://www.disabledworkers.org.uk/
Visit the Chums website: http://www.chums.co.uk/
Visit the Modern & Mature Website: http://www.modernandmature.co.uk/
Visit Age Concern Website: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/
Visit the Over 50 Information Website: http://www.over50.gov.uk/
Visit Help the Aged Website: http://helptheaged.org.uk/
Visit for Mobility products in Spain: http://www.eurocaremobility.com/
Visit for Mercury Products in Southern Spain: http://www.mobilityabroad.com/
Visit the Friends of the elderly Website: http://www.fote.org.uk/
Visit the Sixty Plus Surfers Website: http://www.sixtyplusurfers.co.uk/
Visit the Nursing Home Advice Website: http://www.nhfa.co.uk/
Visit The Royal British Legion Website: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/
Visit the website designed for those over 50: http://www.laterlife.com/
Visit the contact the elderly Website: http://www.contact-the-elderly.org/
Visit The Ramblers Association Website: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/
Visit The Open Country Project Website: http://www.opencountry.org.uk/
Visit The Countryside Access Website: http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/
Visit The Stroke Association Website: http://www.stroke.org.uk/
Visit the Discover Yorkshire Coast Website: http://www.discoveryorkshirecoast.com/
Visit the Arthrirtis Care Website: http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/
Visit The British Heart Foundation Website: http://www.bhf.org.uk/
Visit the British Polio Society Website: http://www.britishpolio.org.uk/
Visit the Diabetes UK Website: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/
Visit The Limbless Association Website: http://www.limbless-association.org/
Visit The Womens’ Institute Website: http://www.womens-institute.co.uk/
Visit Motability Website: http://www.motability.co.uk/
Visit the Disability Now Website: http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/
Visit the carry on gardening Website: http://www.carryongardening.co.uk/
Visit the Disabled Drivers Motor Club Website: http://www.ddmc.org.uk/
Visit the Disabled Living Foundation Website: http://www.dlf.org.uk/
Visit the Disability Rights Commission Website: http://www.drc-gb.org/
Visit the RADAR Website: http://www.radar.org.uk/
Visit the Dare Foundation Website: http://www.darefoundation.org/
Visit the Therapy Weekly Website: http://www.therapyweekly.co.uk/
Visit the Blue Badge Network Website: http://www.bluebadgenetwork.org/
Visit Accessible tourism in Argentina: http://www.decthird.com/
Visit the Mobility Electronic Repair Services: http://www.pcmobilityservices.com/
Visit Mobens Mobility Spain: http://www.mobility-spain.com/

How to make a telephone call with NO WHISTLING!

Are you wearing hearing aids?
and Are you still avoiding telephone calls?

If so, something is wrong. One or more of the issues here will apply...

• You need coaching on how to hold the telephone headset...
• You need an adapted telephone (cheap and easily available)...like the Geemarc Dallas 10
• Your hearing aids need recalibrated...
• Your hearing aids may be ill-fitting...

I can tell you what's needed. Just send me an email

enquiry@hearingchecktoday.co.uk

Smoke alarms for the hard of hearing

Current legislation does not cover smoke alarms that vibrate, yet these could be life-savers.

If you are severely/ profoundly or totally deaf, these smoke alarms can alert you even if you don't hear the siren. Please contact http://www.hearingchecktoday.co.uk/ to discuss your requirements.
Our client in Liverpool called the Fire Service on our advice. 3 firemen called to inspect her house, then a man from the department concerned visited. Within two weeks, this lady's house was made safe, for free.

You may find these links helpful...

http://www.westyorksfire.gov.uk/

http://www.northyorksfire.gov.uk/

How to shop around

Please bear in mind that if you do choose to get two or more quotes for any hearing aid, then you REALLY need to consider these 2 things...

1. The person you deal with: their apparent confidence and ability to deal properly with your requirements, the company's reputation, your rapport with them, the ease of accessibility to getting the job done, and afterwards - the ease of getting problems sorted quickly.

We should all be able to make a reasoned and considered judgement on this matter.


2. Are the products / materials the same / equivalent? are you looking at a like-for-like quote?
There are many hearing aid wearers out there who either ...

• buy on price only - an obvious mistake, unless it's a purchase that isn't that important.
• buy the person only (very common with hearing aid sales!).
• a combination of the above, where the client has not asked enough questions about the product... and ends up with either an inferior item or, worse, an over-priced item...

MAKE SURE YOU GET A LIKE-FOR-LIKE QUOTATION, OTHERWISE YOU MAY MAKE A MISTAKE!

If you want to know how to buy hearing aids, call me on 0800 612 7 812....

Ear wax removal

Diary of a Hearing Aid Audiologist:

I've seen a client today who uses earbuds to 'remove wax'. Upon examining her ears, some wax had been rammed right up against the eardrum and there were visible signs of injury to the ear canal skin surface. This made it unsafe to take ear impressions. PLEASE DO NOT USE EARBUDS IN THE EAR CANAL. Consult your Doctor for safe removal of ear wax.

Alcohol and Hearing

'Alcohol may reduce hearing
The ingestion of alcohol increases auditory thresholds and reduces hearing.

Many factors cause hearing loss. Noise exposure is the number one reason followed by ageing, infections and diseases. Alcohol intake may be added to the list, according to a British study.Alcohol and noise can be detrimental to hearing in combination or separately. The British study aimed to prove that the so-called “cocktail party deafness” is not only caused by the exposure to loud noise. Researchers showed that alcohol intake may be the cause of reduced hearing, at least temporarily.30 healthy adults, aged 20 to 40 years, with no history of hearing disorders participated in the study. Each participant drank a fixed amount of alcohol before their hearing was tested. Researchers found that the more alcohol ingested the worse the hearing. In particular, the hearing of low frequency sounds like the ones in speech were more affected. The study also indicated that older subjects and those with a previous history of heavy drinking were more affected.All participants were found to have a temporary hearing loss, although the authors believe that a regular ingestion of alcohol may lead to permanent hearing loss in the long term.
Further research needed
Researchers stress that further research is needed to understand if alcohol intake plays a crucial role in hearing loss. The reason why drinking deteriorates hearing remained unclear in the study. Researchers believe that alcohol may damage the hearing nerves or may interfere in the brain processing of sounds.' Source www.hear-it.org

Don't forget Analogue!

If your hearing loss is long term and congenital/ heriditary in nature, perhaps poor in the low frequencies - and you have worn analogue hearing aids sucessfully before --- then Analogue may be the choice.
Please do not chase the digital Panacea with money. It'll cost you. And you may never rehabilitate. Try the digital aids via the NHS. If they don't help as much as your previous analogue aids - Discuss this matter with your GP, your ENT consultant or contact me on http://www.hearingchecktoday.co.uk/

added 24 4 09: did you know analogue hearing aids are far more expensive to manufacture than digital aids??? This may be part of the reason that they're being removed from sale...

Ear Mould Care

To maintain your hearing aid moulds…


Clean the earmould daily. Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth and always check the opening of the earmould to be sure it is not clogged with earwax. A clogged opening will prevent sound from reaching your ear.

About once per week you should wash the earmould. Remove from the hearing aid, run under lukewarm water, shake off excess water and leave to dry overnight in a warm place.
An alternative method is to use an ULTRASONIC CLEANER. Remove the mould from the hearing aid, half-fill the cleaner chamber with warm water (and, optionally, half a steradent or similar). Close the lid and switch on for 3 minutes. Remove, shake off excess water and leave to dry overnight in a warm place.

Before fixing it back onto the hearing aid, make sure that the mould is completely dry. Preferably, use an EARMOULD PUFFER to blow out any remaining moisture from the tubing.

To reattach the earmould to the hearing instrument: Make sure that the curve of the earmould matches that of the hearing instrument and that the correct mould is fitted to the correct hearing aid. The Red is right, Blue is left.

To prevent moisture build-up in the tubing, remove your hearing aids for a few minutes every four hours or so. Condensation droplets collecting in the tubing are a sign that your ear is perspiring too much. It is advisable to use an Earmould puffer to blow out the tubing regularly.

Consult your hearing care professional if …
• The earmould causes pain or discomfort or is too difficult to insert
• There are sharp or rough edges on your mould
• Earwax cannot be cleared from the earmould
• The tubing becomes yellow or brittle
• The mould becomes yellow / amber or cracked
• The hearing instrument whistles making it impossible to set the correct volume
• The mould seems loose
• The tubing becomes loose
• The tubing is not securely attached to the hearing aid or is too difficult to attach

Earmoulds work better if they fit accurately. Considerable weight loss or gain, facial palsy, certain dental work and the passage of time can make earmould fit less well. It is advisable to consider new moulds every two years or so, in any case.

Rob Donnan

Things they'd rather you didn't know

In the ear hearing aids break down frequently. The receiver will deteriorate and cause distortion after around 6-12 months.

Hearing aids last about 4 years, on average.

Hearing aid sales are increased when the continuity of service is interrupted. i.e. Companies don’t mind when the original dispenser is replaced. The new dispenser will be more inclined to offer new hearing aids as there is no emotional connection.

The manufacturers operating in the UK market are: Siemens, Starkey, Widex, Oticon, Phonak, GNResound and Puretone. Most other names are subsidiaries of these companies (such as Unitron, part of Phonak: Bernafon, part of Oticon, Hansaton and Rexton, part of Siemens). You should be offered models from ALL manufacturers. If not, why not?

Your hearing and/or cognitive listening skill changes all the time. If you are a hearing aid user, Does your dispenser plug your hearing aids into the computer at every meeting? And when was your hearing last tested?

Avoid dealing with dispensers that do not state up-front prices for specific products. Buying hearing aids can be emotionally challenging and you be in a vulnerable state when you make a commercial decision.

About Me

I have 15 years’ experience in dispensing hearing aids in very high volumes through National Companies’ Exhibitions and Open Days; and in the management and training of commercial hearing aid dispensers.
My conclusion is that the long term one-to-one service that’s needed with this type of product can be more effectively delivered by an independent small business; which is successful in how it cares for it’s clients, but not too commercially motivated that it grows too quickly or too distant from them.
That’s why I now run my own Practice—in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire and provide Intelligent hearing aids, devices that compliment them and mobility products (such as scooters, rollators and stairlifts).
I believe in good, honest straight-forward advice and in letting my clients understand exactly what they need to do to resolve any hearing or mobility difficulty in their life… I provide traditional levels of service and a commitment to aftercare that is rarely experienced these days.

I’m now able to supply RECHARGEABLE HEARING AID BATTERIES, a product that seemed very difficult to find… Not Anymore!
AND, I’m able to adjust your hearing aids only one week after fitting and again two weeks after that! It’s a method that works and it’s far more likely you’ll end up happy this way!

I hope you feel a little more informed at the end of your visit. That’s my intention.
It appears many of us try to wear hearing aids not really knowing enough about what they’ve bought (or been given) or what to expect.
I’d like to help change any misconceptions or concerns you may have. Have a look through my pages at www.hearingchecktoday.co.uk , and if you’d like to have a chat, just call 0800 6127 812

Robert Donnan

Interesting Websites for hearing aid buyers

http://www.hearinglossweb.com/ for a whole host of various resources on hearing loss. I especially recommend the forum section for discussions on hearing aids etc.

www.geocities.com/erlab100/wct.htm if you want to test your hearing of words at home (also good for testing whether or not your hearing aids are working properly). Contact me through www.hearingchecktoday.co.uk if you need help installing this... it's free.

After sounds leave the cochlea, neural proccessing begins

Electrical impulses travel through the auditory nerve to various positioning processing stations in the brain. The auditory cortex (part of the ‘grey matter’) is where most of the sorting, processing, and filing of information is carried out.
Damage to this area will cause a loss of subtle awareness to sounds but reflexive response will remain.

At the same time, there is also plenty of communication between the right and left temporal lobes so that signals can be compared. The comparisons and analyses made play a role in suppressing background noise and in allowing a person to focus on the sounds he/she wants to hear.

THE PRIMARY (AUDITORY) CORTEX
In the rat, sounds are organised into 2 fields, In the rhesus monkey, sounds are organised into 15 fields (or channels). It is not known how many are available in humans, but it will be higher than 15… It would be useful if we could mimic these fields…
THE SECONDARY CORTEX in combination with other regions, may be involved in the processing of complex social harmonic, melodic and rhythmic patterns.
THE TERTIARY CORTEX seamlessly integrates and combines everything into the overall experience of rich complex sound (music) – linked to pleasure and enjoyment

The right auditory cortex has long been shown to be more sensitive to tonality
(music, tuning an engine, etc), while the left auditory cortex has been shown to
be more sensitive to minute sequential differences in sound, specifically speech.

The Rostromedial prefrontal cortex is tonality sensitive - it is activated by the tones and frequencies of resonant sounds and music. It’s also believed to integrate emotional,
cognitive and visceral information. (The Medial prefrontal cortex) is thought to be the core developmental difference between the naughty child / impulsive teenager and the
calm, mature and reasoned adult. And may aid in the inhibition of negative emotion. It could be hypothesized that this is the mechanism by which music lifts the soul!