Time to Read: 7 Minutes
Must have hearing aid features are discussed in this video, based on the hearing aid technology available in 2020, and with the current circumstances we find ourselves in during this pandemic.
Watch the video or read the transcript below:
Hi there, I'm Emma from Value Hearing and in this video I'm going to share with you three must-have features of hearing aids in 2020.
So I've chosen these three features really based on my clinical experiences as an audiologist over 2020.
They're based on the feedback that I've gotten from my own clients. What I've also noticed with these three features is that they really weren't as must-have back in 2019.
2020 has been quite a unique year and with it has come a slightly different demand from my clients in the clinic in terms of what features they want with their hearing aids.
1. Bluetooth
So number one is an obvious one: Bluetooth connection! People want to have some way of streaming audio from their phones, their computers, their tablets directly into their hearing aids.
Why? Pretty obvious, being in a pandemic so many more people are working from home, they're taking Skype calls, they're using Zoom for work meetings, they want to be able to, instead of using headphones or earphones, directly stream that audio into their hearing aids.
Also, what I've noticed is here in Sydney, my clients really want to keep fit throughout the pandemic so a lot of them are not going to classes in person anymore. They're streaming their yoga, F45, directly into their living rooms, they want to be able to hear the instructor directly into their hearing aids.
The other thing I have noticed is a lot more of my clients have more down time, so they're telling me they listen to audio books, they listen to podcasts, they're listening to music and they're listening to YouTube videos or watching YouTube videos more.
Again, having that direct connection to their hearing aids seems to be even more important in their downtime. So what does it mean to have this connection?
A lot of my clients think it just converts the hearing aids straight into a headset. It does but it doesn't take away the hearing aid side of it, so you still get amplification based on your prescription. Which is what makes it so much better than taking the hearing aids out and putting headphones or airpods in.
2. Teleaudiology
Okay, now number two that I would say is definitely way more important in 2020 than 2019 is teleaudiology.
So, the ability to have your hearing aids remotely fine-tuned by your audiologist so that you don't need to come into the clinic when you need an adjustment.
This has been really powerful in 2020.
If you're not able to come into the clinic we're able to actually say, ‘okay, well we can, in some cases, make huge adjustments to the hearing aids if we need to’.
Depending on the brand of hearing aid, they all vary a little bit in terms of what we can offer, but most of them have some version of tele audiology attached to them.
So, really important to consider that when you're choosing a hearing aid as to whether it has teleaudiology and what type of teleaudiology does it have.
3. Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Number three is rechargeability.
People more than ever over the last few years have been asking and certainly in 2019 this would have come close to the top.
People want to have rechargeable hearing aids, I feel that my existing clients, from what I've noticed in 2020, want it more than they used to. They've been used to the zinc air technology but I think with the pandemic it's not quite as easy to come into the clinic to pick up batteries, it's not as reliable to order them online, so they're more attracted to the rechargeable models for that reason.
So most of the rechargeable models are now lithium-ion so those batteries should last for years at a time.
So that's it really.
That's the three that I feel really stand out for being extremely must-have in 2020.
But just to be clear, no matter what hearing aid you choose, no matter what features you have, if you're purchasing that hearing aid in a clinic from an audiologist make sure that they prescribe the hearing aid using a Real Ear Measurement.
It is so important. It will mean that you get the most out of the technology. No matter what feature you have, nothing is more important than having a Real Ear Measurement when you actually have the hearing aids fitted.
The other thing that I should probably let you know is that don't assume that those three must-have features are only available in the really top-end hearing aids. That's not the case, it's available, all three of them are available at different levels of technology.
So have a good chat to your audiologist about your options, your priorities and you should be able to find something within your budget easily.
