HAVE YOU HEARD?
We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and that 2023 brings you good health and happiness. We have some very exciting things going on at Hearing Solutions of North Carolina for this upcoming year. I will keep you in suspense and share with you as they develop.
If you have chosen us as your hearing healthcare partner, you know we do things differently. We strive to follow best practice and provide an exceptional experience which helps differentiate us from retail, over the counter and online hearing aid sales locations.
So, if you have decided to improve your hearing ability are you or have you received aural rehabilitation? What in the world is Aural Rehabilitation? Also referred to as Aural Rehab or A.R. The Hearing Loss Association of America describes Aural Rehab in the following way:
“Aural rehabilitation encompasses a wide set of practices aimed at optimizing a person’s ability to participate in activities that have been limited because of hearing loss.
Rather than relying solely on hearing aids or cochlear implants to solve hearing problems, however, the aural rehab approach uses a Needs Assessment to help the person with hearing loss pinpoint specific situations that are highly valued and at risk for being compromised by difficulties with hearing, even with excellent amplification. These are usually the important experiences in a person’s life that present difficulties with understanding speech in the presence of noise, which challenge one’s ability to maintain attention and focus, and/or which contribute to listening fatigue and internal stress reactions when communication breakdown occurs.” https://www.hearingloss.org/hearing-help/hearing-loss-basics/aural-rehabilitation/
So you can see by this definition if you purchase hearing devices online or at Walgreens you are not going to receive Aural Rehab. At Hearing Solutions, we provide Aural Rehab on an individual basis during post fitting appointments. Prior to Covid we had group classes to share this information as well. However, when Covid hit we had to find another method for sharing this very important and much needed information. That is when we found 5Keys to Communication Success.
As part of our hearing treatment plan, when a patient is fit with hearing devices, they are enrolled in the 5Keys program. They receive 52 weekly short emails that elaborate on the 5 keys as well as hearing aid tips, links to brain exercises and additional readings. We are very excited that this information will be available in an app format later this month. So, what are the 5keys?
1. Environment: It is much easier to communicate in a calm and quiet environment. Both the speaker and the listener are responsible for modifying their surroundings to ensure a successful communication exchange.
2. Speaker: If a speaker truly wants to get a message across to the listener, he or she much use effective speaking strategies. It is the speaker’s responsibility to learn these strategies and use them in every situation.
3. Listener: There is a big difference between hearing and listening. The listener must learn and use effective listening strategies to receive a message successfully. These strategies apply to listeners with normal hearing as well as those with hearing loss.
4. Technology: There are many technological options for people who are experiencing communication breakdowns. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices will help significantly when they are programmed and used appropriately.
5. Practice: New habits are not formed overnight. Most people have developed bad communication habits over many years. The keys listed above and described in the program will only result in successful communication when they are practiced in every situation.
The 5keys are listed in this order for a reason. It is easy to point to technology failure when someone struggles. The technology is only as good as an environment that is conducive for communication, if the speaker is doing their part, if the listener is doing their part and everyone practices, practices, and practices.
The key to better hearing is more than just purchasing hearing aids. If you would like to schedule a consultation to see how we can help you develop a successful hearing treatment plan that incorporates aural rehabilitation, give Jamie or Diane a call at 704-633-0023. Remember to visit our website (www.hearingsolutionsofnc.com) and like us on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you soon.