Communicating With Hearing Impaired Family Members
COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS If you have a loved one who suffers from hearing loss, you understand the frustration that accompanies a conversation with them. Even with hearing aids, that loved one is still hearing impaired and could use a little help on your part to optimize the listening situation. Below are a few…
Recycling Hearing Aids
Ever wonder what they do with old hearing aids? The ones that no one wants anymore because they are no longer working, or the technology is so outdated? What about grandpa’s hearing aids after he passed away? Can they be used again by someone else, or do they just get thrown away with the trash?…
Does Your Hearing Aid Have A T-coil?
Do you know if you have a t-coil in your hearing aid? In the United States, 65% of all hearing aids dispensed have telecoils – or t-coils. A telecoil can increase the functionality of your hearing aid or cochlear implant with little cost or effort on your part. A t-coil is a small copper wire…
Co-insurance
Definition of Co-Insurance: Your share of the costs of a covered health care service, calculated as a percent (for example, 20%) of the allowed amount for the service. You pay coinsurance plus any deductibles you owe. For example, if the health insurance or plan’s allowed amount for an office visit is $100 and you’ve met…
Deductibles
Definition of Deductible: The amount you have to pay out-of-pocket for expenses before the insurance company will cover the remaining costs. For example, if you are scheduling a procedure or test and those medical expenses will be $2,000 and your deductible is $500, then you would have to pay the $500 out-of-pocket first before the…
Bionic Hearing – Not Likely
Yes – hearing aids are electronic devices to assist individuals with hearing loss in hearing better, however, they do not duplicate the natural hearing system, nor do they restore hearing to normal. Hearing aids are wonderful devices that have incorporated some of the newest technology out there – Bluetooth, wireless functions, FM’s, automaticity, self-learning, and…
Allergy-Friendly Gardening
For many people with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever), getting hands dirty in the garden has consequences. Sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion and other reactions can turn yard work into misery. With a few simple precautions, allergies don’t have to stand between you and your garden. The best times of day to be outdoors are when…
Did You Know…
That cotton swabs, commonly known as Q-Tips, typically cause more harm than good? That’s right – medical training and clinical experience aside, I’ve seen multiple warnings on a variety of boxes that confirm even the company’s concern for improper use of these cotton swabs. Here are just a few I have seen: “Warning – Do…
Communication Tips for Hearing Loss
It can be difficult for people with hearing loss to understand conversations, especially when other noises are present. In fact, even people with normal hearing rely on visual cues or “speechreading” to help them hear better – whether they think they do or not! Here are some things that, regardless of your hearing status, can…
Understanding What We Hear
Understanding Last week we learned about how to describe and categorize different type of hearing loss. Once the ear hears the sound, this sound is sent from the cochlea to the auditory nerve, up to the hearing centers in our brain. Once the sound is heard, it is up to the auditory nerve and the auditory center…