APPOINTMENT PATHWAY
STAGE 1
The Hearing Assessment
The first step is to go through a detailed medical history relating to your ear and hearing health. This will enable us to plan the assessment and tailor a hearing solution with you.
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The assessments will first examine the outer ear and determine if there are any problems with the ear canal. Any red flags can be discussed or referred to your GP or ENT consultant.
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The 'Beep Test' will determine if there is any damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or if there is a blockage in the middle ear interrupting sound transmission.
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Speech testing will firstly show how well you naturally discriminate speech sounds and secondly, your processing of speech in a noisy environment. It is often said that we hear with our ears but we listen with our brains - this is an important distinction that needs to be assessed.
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This information is all used to determine the best course of action for your particular needs. Any Red flags can be discussed or referred to your GP and/ or ENT consultant.
STAGE 2
The Hearing Aid Fitting
If amplification is deemed appropriate, the hearing devices can take from as little as a couple of days to arrive, to 2 weeks if a custom product is made from the shape of your ears.
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We first check that the device is fitting well and is comfortable.
REAL EAR MEASUREMENTS are used to account for your individual ear shape and to also verify that the hearing aid output is as it should be.
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Speech testing is again used to ensure that you are hearing speech sounds appropriately and also demonstrates to you, the improvement in your hearing.
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Information you gave is used to set additional features which makes the devices truly unique for your circumstances.
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We then instruct you on how to use and take care of your hearing aids as well as future aftercare.
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STAGE 3
The Aftercare
After the prescription, your aftercare is the next most important aspect of a hearing device. No matter how well a hearing aid is set up, this tailoring of the settings is unlikely to be suitable forever.
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Having a regular check up is essential to getting the most from your devices and to keep them in top condition.
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Every so often, your hearing thresholds will be assessed and at any point your needs change, we will be there to make the necessary adjustments.
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Appointments are home visits so as well as being convenient, all tests are performed in the comfort of your home but the function of the hearing aids is determined in a real life scenario.
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The initial stages of aftercare usually involve more work from yourself. Hearing speech more clearly sounds great but the greater the hearing loss, the greater the jump back to better hearing.
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Hearing aids are designed to be worn all day and this is the only way to get used to the levels of sound they provide - and to get the most benefit from the devices.