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Getting the Most Out of Your Hearing Aids
Part 3 |
When adjusting to new hearing instruments, it is very helpful if one sets goals to measure their progress. This helps you see how much you are improving, and also helps your dispenser know what works for you and what areas need adjustment. It's helpful to write down your top five goals — usually these are situations in which you need to hear better.
At your first follow-up visit, show these goals and your rating of improvement to the dispenser so that he/she knows best how to help you. During the next two to three weeks, continue to rate your goals, and then bring your notes to your next office visit if you need further adjustments. These notes will enable you to compare your progress over the weeks as you adjust to your new hearing aids.
5 goals to hearing better
Your five goals to hearing better can be chosen from the following categories:
- Conversation with 1 or 2 in quiet
- Conversation with 1 or 2 in noise
- Conversation with group in quiet
- Conversation with group in noise
- TV/Radio at normal volume
- Familiar speaker on phone
- Unfamiliar speaker on phone
- Hearing phone ring from other room
- Hear front door bell or
- Hear traffic
- Increased social contact
- Feel less embarrassed or stupid
- Feel less left out
- Feel less upset or angry
- Church or meeting
- Other
Progress evaluation sheet
Once you choose your five top categories, list them in a column along the left side of your paper. On the right side you will rate your progress in each chosen category accordingly:
- Worse
- No difference
- Slightly better
- Better
- Much better
Next to that, rate your final ability with your hearing aid in each chosen category, accordingly.
You can hear:
- Hardly ever (10%)
- Occasionally (25%)
- Half the Time (50%)
- Most of Time (75%)
- Almost Always (95%)
Next month (Part 4), we will finish this series with some instructions for keeping a hearing diary during your adjustment phase.
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| (Article 0805-Part 3, originally published October 2005) |
[page 3 of 4]
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