Hearing Instrument Evaluation
Before a hearing aid can be sold to you, the Federal Drug
Administration mandates that you must have had a thorough hearing
evaluation within the previous year. This mandate protects you, because it
insures that the hearing aid you purchase is tailored to your particular
hearing loss. With the information from a recent hearing evaluation, an
audiologist can determine if you need a hearing aid.
An important part of the hearing aid evaluation is for us to determine your most comfortable listening levels for speech. We must also determine the volume level that speech and different pitch tones become uncomfortable. With this information a hearing aid can be ordered for you which will provide comfortable amplification at all times. At the time of the hearing aid evaluation we will show you the different styles and prices of hearing aids appropriate for your hearing loss. The different types of hearing aids and ways they work will also be explained. You will be given all the information you will need to choose the best style and circuitry for your lifestyle and budget.
Once you have decided on the style and type of hearing instrument you wish to purchase, earmold impressions will be made of each ear. The audiologist will put a soft piece of sterilized cotton, covered in lubricant, deep into your ear canal. Next a soft silicone like material will be injected into your ear canal. This material will form into an impression of your ear canal. It will take ten to fifteen minutes before the impression of your ear can be removed. This impression and the information about the type of hearing aid you wish to purchase is then mailed to the factory, and this hearing aid company will be building your new hearing aid. As it takes approximately three weeks for a hearing instrument to be made and returned; you will be given an appointment to return in three to four weeks.
Before the end of your first appointment you will be given a medical clearance card to be signed by your physician recommending you as a candidate for hearing aids. This is another mandate from the Federal Drug Administration intended for consumer protection. In the past there has been a history of unscrupulous individuals going door-to-door selling hearing aids to people who did not even have a hearing loss. We will need to have a copy of the signed medical clearance card in your file before the aids ordered for you can be delivered. An adult can, however, sign a medical waiver that states he/she was advised to obtain medical clearance but has opted not to follow that advice.
As soon as the hearing aid arrives from the factory, we will complets an electronic check to insure that the aid is working suitably and is free of distortion or other defects. For programmable and digital hearing instruments, the aids are then programmed (using a computer) to the patient’s particular hearing loss using the information obtained during the audiological testing and the hearing aid testing. When the hearing aids are delivered, you are given a complete orientation. It is important that new hearing aid users not only know all about their new hearing aids but also be comfortable changing the battery, adjusting the volume and inserting and removing the aid from their ears. During this orientation you will be shown the parts of the hearing aids and given extensive information about how to take care of them.
It is the Auburn University policy that hearing aids are paid for in full at the time of delivery, however each patient is given a one-month trial period. During the month following the delivery of a new hearing aid, you will scheduled to be seen in the clinic several times. These appointments are important because it is often necessary to make adjustments to the hearing aid to insure your physical comfort . To make your aid fit better, minor grinding, buffing and polishing of the aids can all be done in the clinic. Also, to insure the instrument is working properly, electronic tests will be done to measure the amount of amplification and the distortion levels of the aids. Necessary adjustments will be made through-out the trial. If at the end of the trial period, you are not satisfied with your hearing aids, you will be refunded the price of the aids and all of the sales tax minus a $200.00 restocking fee. Although patients seldom return their hearing aids for credit, it is reassuring to know that should you not benefit from hearing aids, you will be refunded most of your initial investment.
All hearing aids sold at the Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic are covered by a minimum of a one-year service warranty and a one-year loss and damage policy. Hearing aids sold at this clinic will be repaired for one year at no cost if there is any mechanical malfunction. Often a second year warranty can be purchased. Hearing aids are also insured for loss or theft for one year following the purchase date. If the aids are lost or stolen they will be replaced for free one time only. After insurance for loss or theft expires, you will have the opportunity to renew this insurance. Hearing aids sold at the Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic also are covered by a one-year service contract with this clinic. Service for your hearing aid is provided at no charge during the year following the purchase of your new hearing aid. Times are reserved every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for our hearing aid patients. These are times you can be seen without an appointment for the routine maintenance or repair of your hearing aids.
The results of a hearing loss can be devastating in many ways. As Helen Keller noted " Life has taught me that being blind separates me from things, but being deaf separates me from people". Any degree of hearing loss can result in our difficulty communicating with loved ones, our business associates and clients. Thankfully we are living in a time when there are wonderful options available to help us hear our best. Don’t let hearing loss diminish the quality of your life.