Time To Read: 5 minutes
Answering that question is the key to getting the most from the hearing aids you know you need.
Hearing aids don’t work
Have you ever spoken to someone who has had hearing aids, and been told they’re expensive pieces of rubbish that never work and, as a consequence just sit in a drawer?
We’ve heard those stories too.
Occasionally people come to our clinic only because they’ve been cajoled by a family member to do so. They are at the appointment under sufferance. If they are fitted with hearing aids, they purchase them reluctantly.
And they are the clients most likely to give up wearing their hearing aids. According to some statistics, one in three people who need their hearing aids, fail to wear them. Value Hearing clients have a regular wear rate of more than 95%.
So why do our clients have such an impressive rate?
Attitude is everything. And our clients are motivated to succeed.
Why motivation matters
Our clients are motivated because the decision to be fitted with hearing aids belongs to them alone.
They’re not doing it just to please a spouse, our clients know that hearing aids will help them to do life better!
The correct motivation is a key determining factor in your long-term success with hearing aids.
You need to be sure that you are getting hearing devices because you are choosing to improve your communication and quality of life.
When this is a personal decision, you are more likely to wear your hearing aids correctly, ensuring that you to adapt to them effortlessly.
Sadly, people who get hearing aids solely to please their partner or family, or due to some other outside influence, are more likely to stop wearing them over time.
Successful hearing aid fitness is a partnership between you and your audiologist
Your audiologist will analyse your hearing loss and recommend a hearing aid that:
- Is the best type for you
- Will work for you in a wide variety of circumstances
- Maximises your ability to hear speech in noise
You can best prepare for your appointment by being sure about why you need hearing aids.
- Is it to enjoy a favourite hobby again?
- Is it to maximise your ability to hear at work?
- Is it to improve your wellbeing?
To help your hearing specialist identify the ideal hearing solution for you, we recommend writing down down the four or five most important situations where you find hearing to be most difficult, frustrating, isolating, embarrassing or limiting.
Bring this list to your appointment to help your specialist get a good understanding of your situation.
The specialist should review this list with you and ask you some more in-depth questions in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of your lifestyle, such as:
- what you spend your time doing?
- who you talk to (is it mostly to people one-on-one, in small groups, in large venues)?
- what situations are most challenging?
- how important it is that you hear in certain situations? and,
- how often do you find yourself in these situations?
The case history questions you will be asked regarding your lifestyle can be some of the most valuable time spent during the initial assessment appointment.
