'Hears' to Life!

As you know, my cell phone and I do not get along.  We haven't for years.  With the advent of text messaging, I was finally able to 'talk' to people without having the stress of being unable to hear all that they said because of my hearing loss.  Just recently, I got the Phonak FM Smartlink system which is compatible with my hearing aids.  By putting 2 additional programs on my hearing aids, I am now able to have the bluetooth technology with my cell phone.  No, I didn't have to buy a new phone, I just had to make sure that the phone that I had was rated a T-4.  Originally, the powers that be have told us that if you have a cell phone that is rated at least a T-3, your telecoil program on your hearing aid will work with it so that you can hear the conversation. 

Based on research done by my local Verizon store here in Delafield, WI they are now finding that a T-3 rating may not be quite as strong/compatible as what we really need, so if you are having trouble 'hearing' on your cell phone with your hearing aids on the telecoil program and it is rated a T-3, you might want to go back to your cell phone provider and discuss this. 

I'm lucky in that we have a great staff at our Verizon store.  I gave them a heads up that I would be coming in and then sent all of the information on the FM Smartlink system via email to the manager, Suzanne Carney.  It was really quite a surprise to hear back from her as well as the Assistant Store Manager, Jake Jelden when they realized that based on the newness of the FM systems, they really needed more information.  Verizon is the only cell phone provider, at least in our area, that has been this honest with me in not hesitating to want to learn more in order to make sure that they were doing all that they could to get my issues addressed.  Other providers have told me that they either couldn't do it or did not have the responsibility to go that extra step and figure out how their cell phones would work with an FM system.  When I brought up the discrepancy in the T-3/T-4 ratings, they would not even take the time to listen to my struggles in getting the cell phone to work with the telecoil program.  So, needless to say, once Suzanne mentioned that they had been having problems with the T-3 rated phones, we were both curious as to how these ratings were done and just what exactly the powers that be did to decide a T-3 would work.

I made an appointment with Suzanne and brought all of my stuff with me.  She spent well over an hour trying different settings, having one of us step outside to avoid interference with other electronic signals in the store while trying the phone and going through my owners manual on the FM system.  For all of her time and efforts, there was no charge.  Talk about customer service!

I have now had the bluetooth technology on my cell phone for about a week now.  I'm still getting used to not picking up the phone to answer a call.  All that I have to do is push a button on my FM transmitter and I'm good to go.  Hearing the conversation come through my hearing aids is very strange.  The sound quality is the best that I've every had.  I'm not missing any words and so far, have not had to ask anyone to repeat themselves.  For the callers, they are telling me that my voice is in some ways almost too loud and there is no static.  And, with all of this being hands free except for my pushing the button to either place or receive a call, I'm sure that it's a much safer way to drive.

As far as making sure that I'm on the right program when using the cell phone, my hearing aids automatically go to the FM program when the phone rings.  That took some getting used to also.  You are driving down the road and all of a sudden, your hearing aids change programs and you hear the ringing of the phone.  The first few times, I thought that my batteries were getting weak or the hearing aids were not working correctly.  After I finish the call and push the button on my transmitter to end it, the hearing aids go back to the program that they were on before the call.  Nice!

So, if you have any questions or need some additional help in getting your cell phone to work with either your FM system or your telecoil program, feel free to give Suzanne or Jake a call.  Their number is 262-646-7688.  You can reach Suzanne by email at suzanne.carney@VerizonWireless.com  The store address is 3150 Golf Road in Delafield, WI.  I may have to change our plan since I'm finding that I'm talking a lot more now instead of texting.  And, Brian is kind of feeling left out since I no longer ask him to answer the phone for me and take a message...

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Just a reminder that the Milwaukee/Racine Hearing Loss Association of America monthly meeting is on Thursday, Aug. 7th.  There will be another American Sign Language lesson given by Caroline Ludka followed by the meeting.  Meetings are held at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing located at 10243 W. National Ave. in West Allis WI.  Caroline Ludka and Jean Szabo are the Chapter leaders.  They can be reached by email at carolineludka@yahoo.com or szaboshhh@yahoo.com  The meeting starts at 6:30pm. 

For those of you living in the Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha area, this would be a good group for you to check out.  The meetings are free and usually are done by 8:00pm. 

Have a great week!

Did you know that we have a great public venue right here in our area that actually has assistive listening devices for the Hard of Hearing and also Describer Services for the Visually impaired?  It seems that in our area, these places are really hard to find and a while back I wrote in a column that I would be promoting these businesses once I find out what they have.

John Cramer, the 'Director' at WCT has been kind enough to give me all of the details on what they have.  I certainly didn't know that this area 'gem' had any of this.  So, here's the information.  If you have any additional questions, just give them a call or go to their website and send them an email.  And, if there are any other businesses out there with accommodations, please forward me the info. and I'll get it online for you.

Place:  Waukesha Civic Theatre

Address:  264 W. Main St.  Waukesha, WI

Phone:  262-547-4911    Website:  www.waukeshacivictheatre.org

Accommodations available:  Listening devices that pick up the performance dialog/music via their sound system.  They are wireless and can be checked out at the concession stand.  I would recommend that you call ahead and see if you can 'reserve' a unit.  Describer Services for the visually impaired.  Again, call ahead and see if they already have a Describer scheduled for a certain show.

Currently playing:  Disney's High School Musical

Dates:  August 1, 2 & 3rd   August 8, 9, & 10th

Ticket prices:  Adults $14.00   Students and Seniors over age 60  $12.00

For more information on what 'shows' are coming to WCT, go to their website.  You can buy tickets online, but their box office is also open daily, just check for the hours on the website. 

I hear that the Disney show is going to be very good.  And, my son, John is cast as Troy Bolton.  So, maybe I am a little prejudiced.  But, I'll gladly pay to see my 19 year old son dance and sing.  And I thought that he was only good at playing sports all these years.  Now, if I could only get him to pick up his room..... 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is for all of the readers that are asking questions about why I do this column.  As you all know, I've tried to keep personal information out of this.  But, you are bombarding me with emails and so, here are the answers to some of the most asked questions. 

1.  Why do I do this column?  There are several reasons both personal and otherwise.  I guess that the most important reason is I just got tired of seeing all of the things that all of us go through on a day to day basis and decided to get some information out there that would (at least in my mind) help those that deal with Hearing Loss everyday.  Also, I am a firm believer in 'paying it forward'.  By this, I mean that if all of us took the time everyday to do something positive for those around us, the world would be a much better place.  On a personal note, I have basically 'ignored' my hearing loss issues and just accepted that this was the way things were going to be.  After all, there's certainly nothing that is going to cure it!  But, after leaving my employment with a non-relative company, I realized that my current boss (my husband) was not going to fire me, make judgments about my abilities or not take the time to try and 'fix' the communication problems in the workplace.  So, I took the opportunity to finally own up to my own issues with this and try and find some answers to some of the frustrations that I've had for years.

2.  How do I handle embarrassing situations with my family when it comes to my not understanding what they said or in public making them feel like they have to 'babysit' me if I'm trying to have a conversation?  I'm really lucky in that I have a husband and 4 kids plus a great daughter-in-law that has dealt with this all of their lives or in my husband's case, for the past 35 years.  Brian has always been very supportive and since we dated from the time that I was 14, he knew what he was getting into.  Sure, there are times when he gets frustrated with my inability to 'hear' what he says correctly.  But, to his credit, he has never made fun of me or given up.  That's a lot to ask of someone that has normal hearing!  My kids are amazing!  I have been in situations where a cashier or business will basically ignore me once I've not heard them or answered incorrectly and if the kids or Brian are with me, they will start talking to them to get their question answered.  Sure, this makes me feel like I don't matter, but, I've also watched my kids verbally take someone on and set them straight in that their Mom is an intelligent person and just needs to have a different mode of communication.  And yes, we've quit 'supporting' a business that just refuses to work with my communication style.  They all have a great sense of humor and believe me there have been times when it's been needed!  I look at all of them and marvel at their abilities to find humor as well as patience in dealing with 'my world'.

3.  Do I ever get nervous when I know that I'm going to be on my own out in public or do I refuse to put myself in those situations?  Sure!  It would be very easy to just stay in my own comfort zone.  But, think of all that I would be missing!  When I'm going out by myself, I mentally get ready for some bumps along the way.  You have to be willing to communicate to those that you are dealing with in order to be successful in your venture.  If you don't tell them about your 'invisible disability' (god, I hate that word!), how will they know that they need to change their ways with you?  I've been known to spend a few extra minutes at a place just to explain the rights and wrongs of how best to communicate with me.  And, most of the time, the person that I'm 'educating' is more than willing to listen as well as make changes that will be beneficial to both of us.  Of course, there are those out there that can't be bothered or refuse to accept the concepts.  But, I'm hopeful that one of these days, all of us will take into consideration the whole person and not just the deficits.  After all, with 1 in 10 persons having some type of hearing loss under the age of 65, the odds that all of us will have a family member dealing with this are pretty high.  And, I've had people contact me via someone that I met in a business wanting to know how they can adjust to their hearing loss life in a more positive way.  So, I feel like I've made a difference and possibly helped someone else to accept their situation and live a more independent life.

4.  What are you going to do when the kids start having babies and they want you to babysit?  How are you going to hear the kids if they are in another room?  A few months ago, I would have been wondering how I would pull this off.  But, now with all of the new technology out there, it's going to be easy!  When all of my kids were small, they didn't have 'baby monitors'.  And, even if they did have them on the market, it would not have worked for me based on my loss.  I know that there were times when I would sleep on the floor of the babies' room if Brian was out of town for the night just so I could be sure and hear the baby if there was a problem.  And, we've all violated the latest protocol of not taking your baby to bed with you.  But, in my case, I could place my hand on them and then 'feel' if they woke up.  Once Jeff got to be about 8 years old and we had a total of 4 kids, he was awesome in that if one of the kids woke up, he would come in and get me.  And, I finally realized that if all of them had a pot and lid (cookware), they could bang those together if they were too scared or sick to get out of bed and come to me.  You come up with different things that will work.  And, you get a bonus of having humorous stories to tell in later years.  When the grandkids arrive, I'm all set in that I have the FM system (can put the transmitter in their rooms and if I stay within 100' be able to hear them through my hearing aids), alerting devices (they will be hooked up to a lamp that will flash in the room that I'm in if the baby cries) and knowing me, I'll probably be checking on them every 5 minutes just like I did with our own kids.  Some habits are hard to break!

5.  Do you speak on Hearing Loss to groups?  Yes.  Depending on where your meeting is, I base my price on travel costs and time.  There are a lot of much more interesting people out there that do this and some of them have pretty extensive educational backgrounds.  But, if you just want to hear from someone who has lived this life mixed in with a little humor, than send me an email and we'll 'talk'.

6.  How much time do you spend on the columns?  Actually, not much!  When you live this, the ideas just seem to come pretty easily.  And, the fact that I can type around 110 words per minute comes in handy.  My husband will tell you that there are many days where I'm up and going by 6:00am.  Since the office doesn't open until 8:00am, I've been known to get a few columns done and then save them to be 'published' later.  I also tend to keep thinking when I'm sleeping....  A real pain in the brain!  And, there really isn't a day that goes by that something related to hearing loss happens.  So, I guess that I spend about 10 hours a week doing this.  Now, the emails are another whole different story.  If I tried to answer all of them individually, it would turn into a full time job.  So, I group them based on the content and try to address them in a column down the road. 

7.  Do you get paid to write the columns by the Journal Sentinel Group?  No!  None of us do.  The Journal Sentinel Group (Lake Country Publications) was savvy enough business wise to realize that there are a lot of people in their reading audience that have a lot of great things to say.  All of us do it because we like writing or want to get more information out to those that are looking for it.  Pretty neat venture!

8.  How do you handle your hearing loss in very personal situations?  Ok, I've cleaned up that question considerably.  And, no, I'm not going to get into those details.  Use your imaginations and keep in mind that with my hearing aids and FM system, all things are possible!  So, don't send me any more 'detailed' questions please.  (Ha)

9.  How do you handle the flow of communication in a meeting setting?  Well, before I got these latest hearing aids and FM system, I would take a lot of notes and ask Brian later what was said.  I was always fearful that I would answer a question wrong and make him look bad.  After all, he's the brains of the outfit.  And, he's the one that launched this business over 8 years ago.  The last thing that I wanted to do is cause a problem for him.  And, I really do enjoy being on the sidelines.  That way I can watch the reactions of the group and let him know later if there was something going on.  And, for some reason, he lets me do most of the driving!  I believe it has something to do with the fact that if I'm not busy doing something, I tend to 'chatter'....  It's a really great partnership as long as I don't mind the fact that he tunes the radio to the Cubs games.  (I'm a Cardinals fan)

10.  Do you get any benefits or pay when you recommend a place of business?  No.  I just want to 'reward' them for great service and let others know if they have great products for the Hearing Loss population.  I don't get free hearing aids, free hearing tests(audiograms), free equipment, ect. 

11.  What do you think is the most important thing people should know about hearing loss?  That's easy!  All of us with hearing loss should step out of the box and tell others what we know about it.  We should also become brave enough to advocate for those that can't.  I see the possibility of having all public venues 'looped' (induction looping system) so that all of us with hearing aids can go to our t-coil program and hear what everyone else hears.  It's all about education and awareness.  But, if we don't take the first step in bringing our needs to the attention of others, we will forever be lost in the hearing world.  I see people that have decided to take the 'poor me' road and it's very frustrating in that they seem to think that our problems should be 'noticed' by others.  There's a reason it's called the invisible disability.  We don't need more laws or more court rulings to get people to adapt to our situation.  We just need to work together so that all of the talented, smart and interesting people with hearing loss can realize as well as see how important their contributions to our world really are.  After all, what would the music world be like if we hadn't had Beethoven....

Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

If you don't have anything to do on Thursday, Aug. 14th, feel free to attend our Chapter meeting!  We have a great speaker lined up for this one.  Her name is Kim Bruno and she's a Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf and HOH at the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. 

For more information on this department please go to:  http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dvr/

For those of you in the workplace or looking for a job, her department guides you through those steps as well as helps to obtain what you need to keep or get a job in the first place.  This can include (based on budget constraints) assistive listening devices, hearing aids, telecommunication equipment via the TEPP program, counseling and job placement.

Any resident of the State of Wisconsin is eligible for these services.  Kim has been kind enough to put us on her schedule and we really appreciate that!  For those of you that have not heard of these services from your audiologist, it's probably because they are not a State approved vendor/provider with the State and if they told you of these things, they would lose your business to someone that is.  In my view, this is just plain wrong.  We all work hard for our money and depend on our hearing specialists to let us know of the many ways that we can afford hearing services.  I've met a lot of people that don't have hearing aids due to the cost and having insurance that won't pay for them.  And, it still aggravates me to hear of the number of people that don't use the telephone because they can't afford to buy a hearing impaired one.  Makes me wonder how some of our so called medical professionals sleep at night.....

The meeting starts at 6:30pm.  We meet at the Wales Community Center located at 216 W. South St. in Wales, WI.  Send me an email if you are attending so that we have plenty of chairs set up!  You don't have to be a member of HLAA to attend and the meetings are free. 

Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

For those of you wanting to come to the State Conference in Wisconsin for Hearing Loss Association of America, here's the link to the information.

http://www.hlaawi.org/

The conference is being held on October 3rd and 4th.  Every state has one of these.  It's a great place to go and learn about new things having to do with hearing loss as well as meet others that are 'living the life'!  Brenda Arndt is our organizer here in Wisconsin.  Her contact information is also on the website should you have any questions.

There is also an 'early bird' special for attendees if you register by the deadline.  Brenda is also responsible for getting the loop system in place up in Menomonie at many different places.  In a lot of ways, her little town is much further ahead with this type of communication than any other place in Wisconsin.  The big city's in our state would be well advised to check out what she has done to help all of those with hearing loss continue to live in the hearing world.  Thanks Brenda!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Thought I'd share with you a few things that EVERYONE needs to know if they are either using an FM system with their hearing aids or with someone who is.  This is very new technology and new things are still being learned about it. 

First of all, you need to think about the fact that if the person wearing hearing aids and using the FM system is 'tuned' in to the FM signal, they are going to be hearing things that you don't even know about.  I've had a lot of fun trying different scenarios out with mine.  Here are a few things that I have experienced.

1.  If I place the transmitter within 90' of me, I will pick up anything said within 3' of the transmitter.  If I am in a building with lots of electronics going, the range that I can pick things up lessens.  Cement Block or steel buildings have the smallest range. 

2.  Yes, I could be very rude about this ability in that I could choose not to alert those that I am with of my new ability to hear things said even though I'm in the next room or at the other end of the office/house.  This could lead to all sorts of embarrassing situations for my family, friends and clients.  I choose to let everyone that I'm with know that I have it and whether or not it is on.  Being able to read lips from across the room gave me an advantage all of these years, but now, I don't even have to be able to see the person talking if the transmitter is within range of their voice.

3.  I was in a medical office this week and found that I was picking up conversations that I should not have been.  So, I turned off the transmitter and put my hearing aids on the 1st program which gives me 360 degree hearing range within a much smaller area.  Doctors need to know if you have this with you.  HIPPA laws can be violated unknowingly if for instance your transmitter is close enough to another patients' room.  If the reception is at it's peak, you can possibly pick up the conversation going on in the next room.  I foresee the possibility of signage being placed in sensitive areas in the future.  If any medical personnel out there have more questions on this, please contact me and I'll be happy to help you out.

4.  I was talking with a friend of ours that is a policeman and he is also going to let his department know of this technology.  Imagine the problems that they may have if someone wearing this type of hearing aid sends the transmitter in with someone that is being 'questioned' by the authorities.  In this case, the person with the hearing aids can possibly be able to hear the conversation even though they are not in the room.  In a courtroom situation, think about all of the 'quiet' conversations going on between lawyer and client.  Again, if conditions are perfect, a person with this system could be able to hear these private conversations.

5.  In our house and office, I let everyone know if I'm "on".  Needless to say, I sure could have used this when the kids were little.  I do plan on using it when we have grandchildren staying with us.  I can place the transmitter in their room where they are and then be able to hear them cry.  With a baby monitor, I cannot hear it.  So, this has given me the ability to babysit the grandkids and not have to constantly check on them since I would not be able to hear them from another room.   Boy, the things that I could have heard with my own kids!  Needless to say all of them are quite happy that I did not have this back then.

Bottom line is, we all have a responsibility to be honest with those around us.  So, do the right thing and let those that you are with know of the possibilities.  After all, how would you feel if someone was hearing what you were saying and you thought it was a private conversation? 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

A little humor for your day!

We went down to Southern Illinois this past weekend to attend a wedding.  If you think it was warm up here, you should have tried Mid-July down there.  High 90's, high humidity and of course no breeze.  As you all know, when you are wearing hearing aids, humidity tends to goof them up in that moisture gets into the tubing and makes everything sound like you are wearing ear plugs in your ears.

We got to the reception and I tried using the FM system to see if this would cut down on the all of the background noise in the reception hall. For those of you that don't know what this is, I will explain.  As you know, there is an FM signal via the air almost anywhere.  Technology has progressed to the point of hearing aid users being able to use that to further enhance their ability to hear speech.  My FM system is made by Phonak (yes, they have a website) and it's the SmartLink SX.  Since I have earmolds in my ears for the hearing aids, I cannot use a cell phone very well.  The FM system enables the Bluetooth technology to come through my hearing aids.  So, I can answer my cell by pushing a button on my FM systems' transmitter.  Another great thing that I use this for is when I am in meetings with more than 1 person.  I just place the transmitter on the table and can then hear what everyone is saying without having to play the head bobbing game (using lipreading/speechreading).

So, with the band playing and hundreds of people talking, I finally gave up trying to use the FM system.  Being the worrywart that I am, I took the FM system transmitter out to our vehicle and put it in there.  That way, I would not have to worry about someone spilling something on it or the possibility of it getting lost.  Since I've only had this for about 2 weeks, I didn't realize that if you left the transmitter on and were less than 100' away from it your hearing aids (at least mine) will still pick up the signal.

A few hours went by and my husband realized that he could not find his cell phone.  The reception hall was pretty dark due to the band/dance floor having lights going, so we decided to try calling it to see if we could hear it.  Of course, we were also reminding him of his ability to send all of us on a search and retrieve mission.  What are friends for?

Unbeknown to me, I had forgotten to turn off the transmitter on the FM system.  It was in the truck and of course with all of us being inside, the parking lot was quiet.  So, once the cell phone was called, all of a sudden I was hearing it ring loud and clear via my hearing aids.  We are looking under the table, in my purse, checking his sport-coat, ect.  Still couldn't find the darn thing.  Finally, someone said "Tami, how can you hear it?"  That's when I realized that due to the noise, music and people I should not have been able to hear it ringing.

 After a quick trip to the truck, and quite a few laughs we found the cell phone and also realized that now I will be called upon to listen for the darn thing when it gets misplaced again.  Of course, if my FM system is not within 20" of it, I'll be just as deaf as the rest of our friends were....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

For all of you that live and/or work in Minnesota, here are the links for you.  I must admit, Minnesota is pretty organized when it comes to getting the information out.  It will be interesting to find out what the other States have put together in the way of a guide.

 The Minnesota State DHS office has put together a really good resource that has all of the services and programs available in the State.  I've included the link here.  It's a pdf file and be warned, it is 50 pages long.  Wow!  It has everything from State services and resources to theaters, churches and support groups.  Talk about one stop shopping. The link is:  http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/disabilities/documents/pub/DHS_id_018937.pdf

Also, we have Chapters for the Hearing Loss Association of America in Minnesota.  The link to this information is:  http://www.hearingloss.org/chapters/chapterlist.asp?state=mn  Feel free to contact anyone on that listing for more information on Chapters if you are interested in joining or even starting one of your own. 

As always, if anyone out there has more information on Minnesota, please feel free to either contact me by email or post your information in the comment section below.  And, if you would like for me to check a resource out for you, let me know and I'll do my best!

 Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is for all of the d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing students out there looking for scholarships for college. Did you know that Sertoma International has a Scholarship available for students with hearing loss?  If you would like more information on this organization, please go to my Sertoma-Madison, WI column or just click on the Sertoma icon located on the right hand side of the page (tags area).

The deadline for applications for the scholarship is May 1st each year.  I've included the link for more information if you wish to investigate further. 

http://www.iltech.org/fm-sertoma-scholarship.asp

As I find more of these opportunities, I'll pass them on!  I will also be working on more information in our neighboring states for those of you that don't live in Wisconsin.

 Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is for all of you flat-landers out there.  I've been getting emails from all over the country from people wanting to know what services are available for them in different states.  Give me a little time and I'll get other state information on here.  In the meantime, let me know if you know of a great resource not located in Wisconsin and I'll be happy to check it out.

In Illinois, the Illinois Dept. of Human Services has the following information for residents of that state.  One of the things that I thought was kind of cool, was their use of an online classifieds for people looking for hearing loss equipment, technology and assistive devices.  You post what you are looking for or no longer using and people connect with you.  This involves your having to put an email address on the site.  I would assume that since it is a State website, it is secure.  But, you will have to direct any of those questions to the site itself.  So, here's the link:  http://www.iltech.org/classifieds/Classifiedslist.aspx

If you are looking for services in Illinois such as help getting a job, preparing to enter the job market and needing technology or training or would just like to know what's available for your particular situation, the Illinois Dept. of Human Services has a very nice website with lots of information on it.  This can be accessed by going to http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?=29727 

For the services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing in Illinois that link is:  http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=29975   This is where you will find what is available as well as the online forms to apply for job help, training, technology assistance, ect.

Another good State of Illinois website is the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission.  That link is:  http://www.idhhc.state.il.us/  

From what I can find, Illinois does have a 'voucher' program for telecommunications equipment.  It is called the Illinois Telecommunications Access Program.  Their website is located at:  http://www.itactty.org/pages/about-itac.php  You are eligible for 1 piece of equipment every 4 years.  The funds for this come from a charge on your landline phone bill.  Very similar to the Wisconsin TEPP program. 

For those of you looking for a support group on hearing loss, I would definitely recommend Hearing Loss Association of America.  If you go to their website located at:  www.hearingloss.org  In the icons at the top of the page you will see 'locate chapters'.  Click on it and that will take you to a U.S. map.  Click on the state that you live in to find where your chapters are located.  They are a great resource for everyone dealing with hearing loss or living with someone who is.

I've looked online to see if there are any Centers for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Illinois that are similar to our Center up here in West Allis.  I have not been able to find any.  If anyone knows of a great place that is non-profit, let me know and I'll add it to this column.  The key to controlling your costs for services and hearing aids is to find a place that is non-profit.  They are a lot less likely to be taking advantage of your pocketbook.  And, they will freely tell you about all of the programs available to you without the fear of losing your business.  That is because they are probably a State approved vendor of Services which means that for the most part, you can get all of your needs addressed at one place.  This includes audiograms, classes, equipment, hearing aids, ect.  I've found that if they are not a State approved vendor, they tend to not tell you about any programs or services that you are entitled to at a free or reduced rate based on your income, needs and type of loss. 

Hearing Loss is a big money maker now with one out of ten people having it.  After the age of 65, the number goes to one in three.  If you are a veteran, don't forget to check with the VA if it's possible that your hearing loss was a direct result of your service in the military.  After all, you've fought for our freedom, hearing loss is worth defeating also!

Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Are you looking for a great place to have a family vacation as well as volunteer to help others that are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing?  There is a really neat place in Rosholt, WI that few people in the hearing world know about.  It's called the Wisconsin Lions Camp.  Their website link is:  http://www.wisconsinlionscamp.com/

Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of activities during the weekend of August 15 - 17, 2008.  You would be working directly with children while their parents are attending educational sessions on site.  This is an excellent opportunity for Interpreting, Education or Speech-Language Pathology students, parents and families with older children with hearing loss, or anyone with experience working with children who are d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

All volunteers must be able to commit to helping throughout the entire weekend.  Food and Lodging are provided and volunteers may bring their children, if space is available, for a fee.  If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Kerry Malak at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis, WI  She can be reached at 414-604-7200 or by email at KMalak@cdhh.org  

The Wisconsin Lions Camp is set on a beautiful lake and their facility is absolutely fantastic.  They have cabins for the guests, pontoon boats, limited medical facility and for those of you interested start taking applications for their youth and adult camps in early Spring.  The cost for camp are very minimal and some are picked up by different organizations.  So, check out their website and think about taking this opportunity to not only help someone, but also enjoy a weekend in a great setting.

 Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is the fourth and final column on Communication in the Workplace.  If you missed the other three just go back to the previous columns to catch up on what we've talked about so far.  You've made the list of all of the problems that you are having when it comes to hearing and being able to do your job.  Now what?  Here are few ideas for you.  If any of you have any other ones, feel free to post them in the comment section.  There are always new things coming out for those of us with hearing loss and we need to get the word out to others!

Here are a few that I know of.  If you need more information you can always type what you are looking for in your search engine and learn more.  I am in no way an expert on any of them.  Some of them I have and use and others I have not yet looked into.

Hearing Aids - I've written a lot of this subject.  If you click on the tag at the bottom of the columns, it will take you to the columns that I've put comments or information in about hearing aids.  Bottom line is, if you have a hearing loss you really do need to go and check these things out.  I know that they are expensive and most insurance won't cover the cost.  But, if this is going to enable you to keep your job as well as your relationships on a positive note, they are well worth the investment.  Once you get them, you are going to have to be patient and take the time to become used to them.  It's going to change the way you hear things and let you hear things that you have not heard in a long time or as in my case, never before.  It's a frustrating as well as humorous thing to go through.  Oh, the stories that my family could tell...

Assistive Listening Devices - Some education and training is going to be needed once you get these.  Employers would be looked upon very favorably if they made this into an all office thing.  John Kinstler and his staff at the UniversaLink store at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing now go to workplaces as well as some homes to facilitate this.  It's a great service.  Feel free to contact them and set up an appointment. 

Visual displays - For some meetings the use of CART (Computer Assisted Real-Time Captioning will be a big help to those with hearing loss.  Margo Lucas is our CART person for our Southern Wisconsin Lake Country HLAA meetings here in Wales.  She would be happy to answer any questions you may have on obtaining this service for your company.  She can be reached at SeeingtheWord@wi.rr.com or by cell at 262-442-6676.  CART enables those in meeting situations to read what the conversation is as it is being spoken on a screen.  It is the same technology that is used by Court Reporters.  In our case, Margo provides the equipment.  This is good for training programs, video conferences, televised education programs and videotapes.  It's interesting to see how many normal hearing people also like this service since some of us 'learn' better by reading instead of listening.

Alerting Devices - I'll never forget the first time we drove up our driveway at night after installing the alerting devices for the telephone, doorbell and smoke alarm to see lights flashing all over the house.  Kind of looked like a 70's disco!  But seriously, these alerting devices are just another way for a hard of hearing person to 'see' if the phone, doorbell or smoke alarm is ringing.  I can be in room where there is no phone and be alerted by the flashing light if it is ringing.  And, if there's someone at the door, they no longer think that I'm ignoring them.  For those of you that need a little extra help from an alarm clock, those are also available with flashing lights or a 'bed shaker'.  Believe me, you will wake up!  And, no more worries about being late for work or having to rely on someone else to get you up in time.  In an office setting, it takes the stress out of having to work hard to hear the phones or even the fire alarm.

Education about Hearing Loss - Most people who are hard of hearing know very little about hearing loss.  Why would normal hearing people be any different?  Education via your computer searches, audiologist, Hearing Loss magazine (a part of your membership in the Hearing Loss Association of America), and even your friends with hearing loss is an ongoing process for all of us.  Take the time to try and educate those around you so that they are on the same playing field as you when it comes to positive communication strategies.

Coping Strategies Training/Education - You need to be able to tell people what to do in order to communicate with them better.  You need the opportunities to practice doing it.  And, you need feedback on how well you are doing with it.  Where do you get all of this?  From my own personal experience, I've taken the speechreading/lipreading classes at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in West Allis through Pam Bergum.  You can contact her at 414-604-7209 or by email at pbergum@cdhh.org  They have many classes available based on your particular needs.  She can come to your workplace and get all of the employees involved or meet with you one on one or in small groups.  You will need to be able to identify the causes of your communication problems, solicit behavior changes from those that you communicate with, remind them when they inevitably forget and model the communication behavior you desire from others.  Believe it or not, these classes have been both humorous and very informative and even after thinking that I knew all that there was to know when it came to lipreading, found that there were a lot of bad habits that I had developed over the years that in hindsight caused me to have negative communication experiences.

Manual Communication Training - People with profound hearing loss as well as those that will most likely become deaf can certainly benefit from sign language classes.  These are also available at the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and can also be found on DVD at some libraries.  I used to know American Sign Language, but over the years have 'lost' it since I was not using it everyday.  In the work place setting, if the people that you are working with are willing to learn some of the signs, it would be a great help to you.  For those of you in the normal hearing world, there is a big misconception out there that if you are talking with someone that is hard of hearing that means that we know sign language.  Most hard of hearing do not use sign language.  The Ddeaf and Hard of Hearing cultures are two very different things.  So, don't make assumptions!

Counseling/Therapy - Let's face it, if you are just starting to experience a hearing loss after having had normal hearing most of your life, this is a very devastating thing to adjust to.  I'm lucky in that I've had it all of my life and don't know what it's like to live as a normal hearing person.  So, I've never had a problem accepting it.  But there are those out there that truly feel that this is the end of their world as they know it.  In these cases, employers would be very wise to offer some counseling and/or therapy.  Most company insurance plans cover the costs and it's a win/win situation for both sides considering that this will enable your valued employee to continue doing the great job that he had done for you over the years.  It's very frustrating to see how some employers gradually 'get rid' of the hard of hearing employee.  It doesn't have to end this way for either of you if you are both willing to take the time and figure out what needs to be done to keep the relationship positive in the workplace.  Try and put yourself in their shoes or better yet think about what you would do if it happened to one of your family members.

Relaxation Training - Stress, muscle tension and fatigue go hand-in-hand with hearing loss.  This can lead to a decline in job performance.  Check and see if there are yoga classes, relaxation classes, ect. offered through your employer.  These can be a great help in helping you to see the signs of when you've had too much for one day and what to do about it.

Cochlear Implants - Froedert Hospital has a really great Cochlear Implant program.  Our co-leader Jim Savageau had his first one at age 50 and is now checking into getting his other ear done.  I'm not good on this subject since it doesn't apply in my case.  But, if you have questions on this subject, Jim has volunteered to answer them by email.  He can be reached by phone at 262-367-9057 or email at jsavageau@wi.rr.com  Jim also attends a support group at Froedert if you are interested in learning more about that.  Cochlear Implants have enabled those that were classified as being deaf the ability to join the hearing world.  John Kinstler down at the UniversaLink store is another cochlear implant expert.  It is really amazing to see what both of these gentlemen have been able to do to enhance not only their lives, but also those around them.  It was a big step for both of them to take and I've really enjoyed watching their progress. 

Hopefully, these last 4 columns have helped you on having a more positive experience in the workplace.  As I learn more I will pass it on.  Let me know if there's a particular topic that you are needing more information on and I'll try my best to get a column up on it.  Who knows, we might all finally get the hearing world to the point where having a hearing loss isn't such a big deal anymore....

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is part three of four on Communication in the Workplace.  The final column will be posted in the next few days. Here's a little homework for you.  It may help you to start your journey on making conversations in the workplace a bit easier.

We will go over the impact of Noise, Lighting, Behavior, Location, Distractions, Not using Hearing Aids, Not using Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's), Telephones and Alerting devices.  Look around your workplace and think about where you are having conversations as well as problems understanding them. 

Noise - This is a big one!  Are you having to deal with any of the following:  Voices of people talking, electronic equipment sounds, mechanical equipment sounds, echoing sounds, telephones ringing or construction sounds.  How might you minimize them or get yourself into a more quiet situation? 

Lighting - Is the lighting too bright or dim?  Is it shining in the person's eyes that you are trying to talk with?  This can make lipreading/speechreading more difficult for you. 

Behavior - Is the person looking at you when they are speaking?  Are they paying attention to what you are saying or are they distracted by something going on around them?  Are they repeating what they said when you are asking them to or getting frustrated with you and refusing to expound upon the subject matter?  Are they speaking too rapidly or softly?  Do they have a foreign accent?  Is that rather big mustache or beard getting in the way of their lips?  All good things to notice!  Once you figure out what the other person is not doing to help you out, you can now start 'retraining' them.  Don't get frustrated!  It's going to take efforts from all parties involved to finally get it into the normal hearing persons' behavior pattern to communicate your way.  Bad habits are hard to break!  And, to be honest here, normal hearing people don't even think about these things.  So, here's your chance to facilitate change.

Location - Are you trying to talk to people that are behind office dividers/cubbies?  Can you see their face at all times?  Is there too great of a distance between you and the other person so that you can't hear or see what they are saying?  Do you have to twist around just to have face to face contact with them and in the process lose the first few sentences of what they are talking to you about?  When someone comes up to you from behind and starts talking, you are probably not going to hear all of what they say.  Ask them to get your attention first! 

Distractions - Are there lots of things going on when you are trying to have a conversation at work?  People walking by and greeting both of you?  Sudden sounds or movements?  Lights flashing?  You will have to take charge of where these conversations are taking place if at all possible.  Look for the opportunity to hold the conversation in a private office or where there are the least amount of distractions for all parties involved. 

Not using Hearing Aids - Are you wearing hearing aids to work, but find that the background noises are just too distracting to the point where you are turning the volume down or the hearing aid off?  If you are, it's time to go back to your audiologist and get another program put on them.  All aids have switches on them that can have a minimum of 2 different hearing programs on them.  I have 4 on mine and when I push the toggle switch, a series of beeps tells me what program I am on.  You can have one for 360 degree hearing or everything around you and one for just the sounds that are coming at you from the front.  Don't forget to have them put the t-coil program on also!  These programs will help to eliminate the many background noises that are not allowing you to hear what is being said.  Of course this now means that you are going to have to get in the habit of pushing the toggle switch to go to the program that works best based on where the conversation is being held.  But, after you've done if for a few days, it becomes a habit and you don't even realize that you are doing it.

Not using Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's) - With the TEPP voucher program available in many states (see column on TEPP) there really is no reason for anyone to go without the many Assistive Listening Devices that are out there and approved for use by the program.  Many of the telecommunication devices can be used for other areas of listening.  Your TEPP provider will be more than happy to work with you on it.  If you want additional information on the provider here in Wisconsin, go to the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing UniversaLink website at www.cdhh.org  John Kinstler is there and he is a master of figuring out what will work in your situation.  It is also very possible that your employer will pick up the costs for this equipment in your workplace.  Let them know what you need and then send them to the website.  This enables you to have your own devices at home and additional ones at work.  If you are lucky enough to have a conference room set up with an induction loop system, you can use the t-coil program on your hearing aids to hook up to that.  This makes your hearing aids the receiver of all sounds within the looped area.  Kind of like a personal sound system.

Telephones - I used to hate these things!  I'd get on the phone and have to constantly ask the caller to repeat what they were saying.  Add in an accent and I was really in trouble.  I have a Clarity C4230 telephone.  It has speaker-phone, answering machine, caller ID, call waiting, a cordless handset and is compatible with my alerting devices that I have plugged in around different areas of the house and office.  These also work with the doorbell and once the grandkids come can be used in the room that they are in so that I won't miss anything that is going on.  A godsend!  A side-note here - No pressure Jeff and Lindsey to have kids yet!   And yes, the TEPP voucher program paid for all of it.  After all, I've been paying the additional charge on my land-line phone bill for years.  I might as well take advantage of the program.

Alerting Devices - Does your workplace use amplified phones, TTY or the telephone relay service?  Did you know that if you are using the telephone relay service there is no additional charge for this?  All that you have to do to access someone with the telephone relay service is dial 711 (at least in Wisconsin) and tell the operator that you wish to call a certain number.  They will then make the call for you and as the person is speaking, type the conversation so that you can read it on your TTY or CapTel phone.  This is a great service and many people don't know that there is no additional charge to either party for it.  Are there visual or tactual alerting devices in the work area?  This can consist of flashing lights when an alarm sounds or the telephone rings.  On my phone, doorbell and smoke detector, they are all connected to one alerting device that is plugged into a wall outlet and will flash a light on a lamp or a strobe light connected to the alerting device in the wall socket.  Takes a lot of the stress out of my life!

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

This is the second of four columns on Communication in the Workplace.  I will be posting the other two in the next week or so.

You've told your boss and co-workers about your hearing problem.  Now, what?  What do you need to figure out so that you can train all of them in your communication styles?

First of all, you need to make a list of who you communicate with.  If you start with them, it will eventually trickle down to those that you don't have daily interaction with.  Another topic for discussion at the 'water cooler'...  Possible people for your list are your boss, supervisors, co-workers, employees of other departments, clients, customers, contractors, security, custodians, ect.  You then need to ascertain how important it is to understand what each of these people are saying.  I would think that the number one in importance would be your boss.  When you get down to the security and custodian levels, you need to keep in mind that if there is an emergency in your area, Security will probably be moving pretty fast and not spending a lot of time explaining.  Custodians are a very important part of the workplace also in that they are the ones that you are going to to get things done within the facility.

Where do you communicate with these people normally?  Is it at your desk, in someone else's office, in a conference room, break room, in the car, at a counter in the store, hallway or via the phone?  Think about all of the different background noises in each of your communication situations.  How might you minimize them?  Do you need to move the conversation to a quiet area?  Would closing your office door help with the outside noises?  Do you need a phone for the hearing challenged? 

How does the communication occur?  Is it face to face, one on one, small group, large group, on a computer or speaker phone or by memo?  I love email in that I can see exactly what is being said.  Large groups are a challenge.  Trying to get everyone to follow the rule of only one person talking at a time tends to take the flow out of the conversation.  Telephones used to be a problem, but with all of the new ones out on the market now there is really no reason for you to not be able to use them unless you have a very profound loss and don't have any hearing aids with t-coils. 

How frequently does the communication occur?  Is it constant, several times a day, daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly?  For meetings, having an agenda beforehand is always helpful in that you will now know what the topics are that are being discussed.  You can jot down your thoughts ahead of time and be one step ahead.  Impromptu meetings are a challenge if you don't know what the topic is or what problems are going to be discussed.  Get people in the habit of emailing you beforehand so that you can at least see where the conversation may go.

Since getting the FM system on my hearing aids, I am amazed at how much easier it is to have conversations in any of the above situations.  I've had a lot of questions on just what exactly that thing is that I have in my hand or around my neck.  And, there have been a lot people thinking that I am recording what they are saying.  But, once I explain to them what it does and how it works, they are very curious as to how I now got my so called bionic hearing.  I find myself being able to have a relaxed conversation vs. a head bobbing one.  I don't have to keep turning my head to the person speaking to try and read their lips in addition to straining to hear what they are saying.  The downside of having this system is that if it should go on the fritz, I'm going to have to get back in the habit of doing all of the things that I did before to understand what is going on.  I will be doing a column on 2 FM systems that are now available in the future.  The technology is amazing and if I had had this when all of my children were younger I certainly would have been having a lot more fun!  Not to mention we would have been listening to more appropriate radio stations while driving in the car.... 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

There are many of us out there that have a hard time identifying the causes of communication problems they have at work.  It's one thing to be up front with your family and friends, but deciding to tell those that you work with as well as your boss can be a very hard step to take.  This column is one of four that I will be 'posting' over the next week or so dealing with this subject.

Being upfront about our hearing loss has us worried that this will automatically put us at the bottom of the totem pole as far as others thinking that we can do the job just as well as normal hearing people can.  We weigh the pros and cons and ultimately decide to continue hiding it because we just don't want to take the chance of being looked at differently by our peers.  All of these emotions are very normal! 

A lot of these communication problems are a direct result of our not letting those that we work with know of our hearing difficulties.  Remember, this is an invisible part of us.  People can't see our hearing loss.  Lots of them can't see our hearing aids.  And, for those of us that have not gotten hearing aids yet, you really have nothing to point to that will add validity to your explanation.  So, what do you do?

Identifying Communication problems is tough to do unless you are willing to spend a little time researching your own situation.  No one else is going to do it for you.  There are many factors involved.  Environment, machinery, telephones, meetings, lots of conversations going on at a fast pace.  Many people with hearing loss do not know how to identify the cause of these problems.  They do not know what to do to prevent or reduce communication breakdowns.  They don't know what their options are with regards to available assistive equipment or communication behavior changes that would increase their understanding of what people are saying.

And, we also are faced with difficulty in getting cooperation from our co-workers, supervisors and others that we are with everyday at work.  Even when you do inform those that you are working with, they often forget the next day and go right back to talking with their heads down, from behind you or not loud enough.  All of this stems from lack of information on both your part as well as the workplace trainings and seminars.  It's pretty easy to forget about us since we tend to not draw attention to our needs!

We also need to keep in mind that how we communicate our needs should be in a positive way.  If you start demanding and whining, you are not going to have a very willing audience.  It's not their fault that you can't hear, so take charge and start educating when you can.  Polite requests like "It will be real helpful if you face me when you speak.  Thanks so much." are a much more positive way vs. "I can't understand you, say it again."  And, then getting irritated when the person does not do what you are asking.  Your tone of voice, facial expression and body language all give signs to the person that you are talking to of irritation, frustration, anger, etc.  It is up to you to ensure that you are not contributing to a no win situation from others.

There are 4 key points that you need to address when telling someone that you work with about your hearing loss.  They are:

Type of Loss       Severity of Loss      Related Physical Conditions     Knowledge about Hearing Loss

Type of Loss - It's important to know what type of hearing loss you have so that you can explain it to people.  Just saying that you are hard of hearing with the inability to answer any follow up questions makes you look like you don't care enough about yourself to find out all that you can about it.  If you don't care about yourself, why should someone else take the time to try and adjust their communication styles to your needs?  There are basically three types.  Conductive hearing loss can be treated with medication or surgery in some cases.  It is also usually helped to a great degree by hearing aids.  A person with a severe to profound (this is what I have) sensorineural hearing loss may be a candidate for a cochlear implant (I'm not).  Sensorineural hearing losses are more difficult to accommodate with hearing aids.  Which is why it is so important that you have the best audiologist that you can find.  Either way, hearing aids are the first step in improving understanding of speech for these types of losses.

There is one more type of loss called Unilateral hearing loss.  This means that there is loss in only one ear.  One of my most frustrating conversations is with someone that has this and has been told that it's not a big deal since they still have one good ear.  It takes 2 good ears to process all of the sounds.  With only one working, you have great difficulty separating background noise from the person's voice they are trying to hear.  When you are talking to their good ear, they understand pretty well, but once the sound is coming from the bad ear side, they will be responding inappropriately.  In many cases, they will not even hear the person speaking if they are talking on the side with the bad ear.

All of these losses usually result in some misconceptions being made about you by other people that don't know that you have a hearing loss.  I've had it happen to me.  People will think that you are unfriendly due to your lack of response, weird, slow, moody or even not very smart.  Once you get hearing aids, you will once again have more control on managing the conversations around you and respond for the most part correctly.  Don't get me wrong, they cannot make you have perfect hearing.  But, the improvement is huge compared to what you have been living with.

Severity of Loss - For my loss, when I don't have my hearing aids in (and turned on), it is quite apparent that I have a problem to those trying to converse with me.  When the loss is mild or moderate, a problem arises because the loss is often not as apparent.  These people seem to understand quite well sometimes and not at all at other times.  It depends how noisy the environment is around them.  This is where people often think that you have selective hearing or you hear what you want.  Employers will think that you are not giving the job the attention that it needs based on your supposed inattentiveness.  This could be a big problem if your employer does not know you have a hearing loss.  Another reason to be upfront and honest!

One of my concerns is learning of hearing professionals that are saying to their patients that they have only a mild loss that is not yet a problem.  Any hearing loss should be addressed and if possible fixed as close to normal as possible with the use of hearing aids, medications, surgery, etc.  A mild loss can turn your life upside down also!

Related Physical Conditions - There are many physical conditions that a hard of hearing person can also experience.  Some of these are headaches, balance/dizziness, ringing or other sounds in the ears (tinnitus) or other medical problems that need treatment.  You need to let those that you work with know if you have balance problems.  You certainly don't want them to think that you are taking 'liquid' lunches or breaks.  Once the rumors get started, it's very hard to squelch them.  Be ahead of the game.

Knowledge about Hearing Loss - You all have the opportunity to educate and get hearing loss out in the open.  Do you know how to read your own audiogram?  Do you know what type and how severe your loss is?  Do you know what problems you have that are related to hearing loss at work?  Do you have information on what you can do and what others need to do to prevent mis-communications?  Are you aware of the benefits and limitations of hearing aids and strategies(coping) that are available in your area?  If the answers to any of the above questions are no, then you need to do a little more research and ask more questions to find out all that you can about yourself!  After all, who else is going to take the time and energy to learn more about this situation? 

Bottom line is, you are responsible for yourself.  Your actions or lack of them can have a tremendous effect on your career as well as those around you.  Good employees with talent and ability are hard to find.  Don't let your company lose one because you haven't made the time or gotten confident enough to let them know who you really are and how you tick!  Who knows, you may find yourself in the new position of teacher/trainer for all of the other employees...

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

For those of you wanting to learn more about hearing loss as well as connect with others all over the world, here's the link.

http://www.hear4life.org

Just go to this website, register and post whatever questions or comments you may have on hearing loss.  There are many different topics that you can read about and lots of people are on this forum daily sharing their experiences and frustrations with hearing loss.  Hearing Loss Association of America is a non-profit group based out of Bethesda, MD that was formerly known as Shhh.  They provide this forum free of charge to all that are interested in keeping on top of the latest hearing loss news. 

You won't have to worry about getting junk mails or spam on this site.  The moderators monitor it daily and are very good at making sure that there is not any negative things happening to their members.  So, feel free to check it out!  It's a great resource and really nice to find more people in the same situation as you. 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

We all know how much fun it is to go car shopping.  Just when you think you know what you want or need, the salesman starts telling you about all of the extra options.  Before you know it, you are wondering if you really did need a new vehicle.  Hearing aids can also be very confusing when you start to learn about all of the features and things that they can do.  My best advice is to go into this not expecting to walk out with your new hearing aid in a week or so.  You need to listen carefully to your audiologist and also be up front with them by informing them of the situations that you are in and how you would like to make hearing in those situations better.  There really is not a one size fits all theory here!

One of the most important things that you can do is choose a hearing aid that helps you to hear the best.  Most of us look at the price first and forget that no matter how much money we may save, in the long run it's not really worth being disappointed and 'stuck' with a hearing aid that really does not capitalize on your needs.  Remember, you are going to be wearing this for 3-7 years.  Depending on how advanced the technology gets and when you decide to upgrade.  So, in a lot of ways, it is like buying a car.  Kick the tires before you sign on the dotted line!

Just a few years ago, the ITE (In the Ear) aids could not have all of the programs that the BTE (Behind the Ear) models had.  Now, it's possible to add quite a few things that will be a benefit to those that just aren't comfortable having something behind their ear.  I know that a lot of people won't go to the BTE's because they think that they are more noticeable.  But, in my case, having a tiny ear mold in my ear with the rest of the hearing aid behind my ear is a lot more comfortable.  And, with the multi-directional microphones I really do pick up more sounds.

As with anything new, you really need to learn the lingo.  There are a lot of acronyms related to hearing aids.  For those of us that have been doing this for awhile, we tend to use the 'initials' instead of saying the entire phrase.  If you don't understand what your audiologist is talking about, ask them to explain it further.  Your brain is going to be in overdrive during this process and it's so much easier to just say no to a new feature instead of taking the time to try and process what it will really do for you.  Take someone along with you so that you have an extra set of ears to hear this presentation.  Taking notes will also help.  No one said that you have to decide that day!  You can always go home and think about what you learned.  There is no time limit on this purchase.  If an audiologist is telling you that there is a special deal just for today, find someone else that isn't after your money.  You should be treated as a exclusive client, not one of the crowd.

If you don't know about telecoils, DAI, directional microphones, ALD, clipping, compression, digital, analog, FM, IR, neckloop, feedback, suppression, noise reduction, ect., go to a website that will explain all of these features to you.  Your audiologist will be more than happy to do it, but there is just no way that you are going to remember all that they said once you get home.  I personally like the following websites.  They do a pretty good job of explaining what all of the above are and how they work.  Here are the links.

Hearing Loss Association of America  www.hearingloss.org

Audiology Online  www.audiologyonline.com

Healthy Hearing  www.healthyhearing.com

Usually, if you type any of the above features in the search engine of your computer, you will also be able to find out what is that they do and how they work.  There is also a message board/forum on the Hearing Loss Association of America that you can go to and post questions or even do your own research by asking others their opinions of the hearing aid features. 

I will give you a brief description of the features below.  Keep in mind that there are many more details to them and I'm not a technological guru.  Since I'm not an expert, I'm only going to comment on the features that I have or have finally gotten figured out.  For the other ones, go to the websites above.  But, this will at least get you started.  Also, remember that the main purpose of getting a hearing aid is so that you can 'understand' speech.  We all hear speech, but when you have a hearing loss and can't hear some of the letter sounds, this is where you run into the situation of not hearing the words correctly.  The infamous thing for me of answering questions wrong and then feeling like an idiot.  But, I have been known to add humor to many topics! (ha)

Volume Control:  Modern digital hearing aids are very good at keeping the volume where you want it, but sometimes you may want to turn it up or down.  Having a VC (volume control) is an added feature that once you start using it will come in quite handy.  I know that in my case, when we are in a very noisy environment (Summerfest music!), I like to turn it down a notch so that the higher pitches don't sound so 'tinny'.  Since I didn't have a VC on my previous hearing aids, it took me a couple of weeks to even remember that I could do this.  Now, it seems normal for me to reach behind my ears and push the toggle switch.

Multiple Microphone Noise Reduction:  Hearing aids can now have more than one microphone.  This enables you to hear 360 degrees.  But, the downside to it is that if you are out in the wind, you will also feel like someone is blowing on your hearing aids which tends to interfere with your ability to understand speech.  So, they've come up with the multiple microphone noise reduction feature.  This is an automatic program in that once the hearing aid senses the prevalent background noise, it lessens it to the point where it is not the main thing that you are hearing.  So, if hearing in noise is one of the things that you are having problems with, I would highly recommend this feature. 

Telecoil:  A telecoil is standard on all hearing aids now.  Or, at least it's supposed to be.  The telecoil is one of the most misunderstood and underused feature of a hearing aid.  T-Coils 'hear' magnetic signals such as the signal transmitted by most phones.  It enables you to 'couple' your hearing aids directly with audio sources such as the TV, telephones and assistive listening devices.  When your t-coil program is on, you automatically eliminate background noise.  It basically makes your hearing aids your own personal sound system.  I will be getting an FM system next week and by switching on my t-coil will be able to use this while watching TV.  It will also make my cell phone hands free once I get the technology put on my cell via verizon.  I'll admit, it took me quite a while to even like this feature once I got the new hearing aids.  I had to learn a few new things and then get into the habit of pushing my program button on the back of my hearing aid.  But, now it doesn't seem like work and I automatically go to this program without even thinking about it. 

Be sure and shop around for the best professional and hearing aid that you can find.  I can't stress enough that there are low cost ways to purchase a hearing aid, but you will end up not getting the services, evaluations and help that you need once you pay for them.  There are many audiologists in our area that will work with you over a period of several weeks or even months to get the best fit for you.  Plan on going back to them at least 6 - 10 times to get the adjustments and tweaking that you are going to need.  Remember, they don't hear what you do and have no way of telling what environments, situations, ect. you are going to be in.  Be patient!  It's worth all of the time and money that you invest in them. 

Probably the most important thing that you can do for yourself at the very start of this whole process is to make sure that you have in WRITING the trial period, warranty and refund information on your hearing aids.  Keep records or a journal of what sounds are good and what sounds you are still having trouble with.  Ask your family/friends to help you out on this by telling you when you are not understanding something.  Take the time to figure out what environments are 'dead zones' for you.  All of this can be fixed.  Hearing aids are limitless in the settings, sound quality and loudness they can provide.  If the hearing aids fit well, are comfortable for you and you like the way that they feel, your audiologist can make them sound great.  It just takes some work on your part and theirs to get to that point.  In the off chance that you don't like your hearing aids, remember to follow the rules of their return policy and in a lot of cases if you make the decision to return them during the trial period, they will be able to get you a different brand, style for you to try out instead.  Don't be afraid or intimidated to demand the best possible solution for your hearing loss.  After all, you are the one that will be wearing them and investing your hard earned money in this.  Why would you settle for something that doesn't solve your hearing problems? 

One last thing.  Once you get your hearing aids, please remember to keep them in a safe place when you are not wearing them.  Dogs and Cats love to chew on them.  It's easy to leave your hearing aids in a pocket and they end up in the washing machine.  Always place them in their case or the 'dry aid' kit when you are not wearing them.  Well meaning family members can see them on the counter and think that they are helping you out by putting them someplace else only to forget to tell you where they put them.  It once took me over a week of scouring the house to find out where one of my kids had put mine several years ago.  For that whole week, I was in big trouble since I didn't have my 'ears'! 

I'll be updating the progress of my new hearing aids in the next few weeks.  I still have a lot to learn with all of the added features on mine and look forward to sharing my experience with all of you.  If you have any questions for me, feel free to let me know!  I'm all ears....

Have a great week! 

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink

Some of you from out of the area are asking how the new hearing loss group is going.  So, here's an update for you!

Our first meeting was in April here in Wales.  We hold our meetings the second Thursday of the month at the Wales Community Center located at 216 W. South St. in Wales, WI.  Meetings start at 6:30pm and end around 8:30pm. 

What have we done so far?  We've had speakers from the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing UniversaLink service.  We've had Jim (our co-leader) give a talk on his journey to being implanted with a Cochlear Implant.  We've had group time for our spouses and family members led by my husband, Brian and Jim's wife Sherri.  We've also had group time for all of us that deal with hearing loss on a daily basis.

Three of our members have gotten hearing aids since we started meeting in April.  That's been a lot of fun to be a part of.  There are at least 5 others that are going to get audiological evaluations in the next couple of months.  Don't forget, it takes an average of 7 years before someone is ready to go to this step.  So, we are really excited for all of them to find out what is out there to improve their hearing.

We are up to around 28 attending the meetings with the age group ranging from 28 to 94 years of age.  And yes, we always have room for more.  In August, we are having Kim Bruno from the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation in Waukesha, WI come out and talk to us about what DVR is and what they can do to help those with hearing loss.

Next week (July 10th) we are having our first group picnic.  So, if you are thinking about coming out to Wales and seeing what we are all about, just email me and I'll send you the details on the picnic.

Thanks for all of the interest in how our little group is doing.  Periodically I will post updates on here so that you know what we are up to.  And, if you know of someone that would benefit from meeting all of us, feel free to send them our way.  Who knows, they just might find out what they've been missing in the hearing world....

Have a great week!

I'm not talking about medical insurance that would cover the cost of getting hearing aids.  This is the insurance that you would have in case something happened to your hearing aids after the warranty is expired.  Similar to the auto and homeowners insurance that we all have now.

I've gone on-line and looked at the options for all of us.  I must say that in my opinion we are once again being taken monetarily by one particular company in that not only do they sell us insurance coverage, but they are also in the 'credit' market and offer a credit type card that you can use to purchase your hearing aids and then make monthly payments to them.  I've tried to find out what the interest rate is that they are charging, but have gotten no response from them yet.  So, this is another thing to be aware of during the purchase experience. 

I am lucky in that we have had a great insurance agent here in the area for many years.  So, I contacted him to find out what the other options are for all of us.  Here's what I've found out.

As we all know, you have a warranty on your hearing aids the day that you buy them.  This warranty can be anywhere from 1 to 3 years.  Most of them cover the replacement cost of a new aid if you lose it, damage it beyond repair, dog eats it, ect.  But, be sure and read the fine print and also keep your original paperwork and receipt.  You will need them if this situation happens!

According to our agent, Jon Oaks, coverage varies from carrier to carrier.  But most of the time you can schedule the hearing aids on a personal insurance policy in the form of a rider.  This is also true if you have a rental insurance policy and don't own your place of residence.  The cost averages $4 per $100 on your hearing aid value per year.  So, in my case with my aids costing $3900 each, that would come out to a total of $312 a year for both of them.  If your warranty is up and you lose/damage your aids, this is a small price to pay to replace them.

Some of the insurance carriers do not offer this coverage for what they define as medical equipment.  So, it's definitely worth a phone call to your agent to find out whether they can be covered and what the rate would be.  If you don't have an agent, Jon has volunteered to answer your questions.  Keep in mind, that he is not looking to sell you anything.  He's just turned out to be a really great friend and has always gone the extra mile.  Let's face it with 4 kids driving at one point, we talked to him alot!  He must be doing something right since he can now service people that don't live in Wisconsin.

His contact information is:  Jon Oaks  American Advantage Insurance

                                       2311 Silvernail Road  Pewaukee, WI 

                                       Phone:  262-548-8070   Email: jono@ameradv.com

In my 25 years of wearing hearing aids, I've never lost them or damaged them in a way that they were not repairable, but it's always nice to know that if I finally have that happen and the warranty is expired, I'm not going to be ear-less thanks to the coverage via our homeowners policy. 

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008 Tami Klink