background image

Information about your 
hearing aid 

East Kent NHS Audiology Services

East Kent Hospitals University

NHS Foundation Trust

Summary of Contents for Contrast HP+

Page 1: ...Information about your hearing aid East Kent NHS Audiology Services East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust ...

Page 2: ...s of hearing loss 6 Hearing aids 8 Frequently asked questions 10 Getting started with your hearing aids 14 Ear mould hearing aids 20 LifeTip hearing aids 26 Communication tactics 30 The patient journey 32 General notes on safety 34 ...

Page 3: ...d stops working 36 Repair service 38 Battery replacement service 40 Sources of further information 41 Please note For further and more comprehensive safety information please refer to your product user guide and safety guide ...

Page 4: ...our new digital hearing aid It will remind you of what your Audiologist explained at your fitting appointment and also contains extra information about how to use and look after your aid You will also find tips that you can use to make it easier to understand what other people are saying There is also contact information for useful organisations and support services If you have any difficulties th...

Page 5: ...y the NHS are highly advanced digital aids Your hearing aid has been programmed electronically to take into account your individual requirements This begins with your Audiologist performing a hearing assessment Your new hearing aid ...

Page 6: ...90 100 110 120 FREQUENCY IN CYCLES PER SECOND Hz HEARING LEVELS IN DECIBELS Db Mild Moderate Moderately severe Severe Profound Audiogram of familiar sounds Please note People often have hearing thresholds spanning two or more of these classes of hearing loss in different pitches ears ...

Page 7: ...they are loud Amplification is very successful for this loss but the patient also needs to use good hearing tactics Lip reading classes could benefit people with this hearing level Unable to hear most sounds unless they are very loud Amplification is often useful but the patient will also need to rely on good hearing tactics Lip reading classes would also be useful for people with this hearing los...

Page 8: ...ss 8 Hearing aids If your hearing is suitable you will be offered digital hearing aids This means that they are programmed with a computer to a prescription suitable for your loss Contrast S Contrast R Contrast SP Contrast HP Your hearing aid s may look like one of these Ear Mould LifeTip Click Dome ...

Page 9: ...r when people are speaking to you and give you more confidence In noisy places the background noise will still be there as it is for someone who has normal hearing You will probably find that it is helpful to watch people s faces in noisy places like high streets and restaurants You may still find it difficult to follow what people are saying and if both ears are impaired wearing two aids may help...

Page 10: ...d to hearing your own voice with a hearing loss When the aid s are initially fitted the sound of your own voice can sound a little strange as it is now being amplified Your own voice may appear a little quieter to others What if I don t like the sound of my own voice To start with your voice may sound unfamiliar to you but after 2 6 weeks this should subside with regular use of the hearing aids Fo...

Page 11: ...cifically with environments that you find especially hard to hear in These options can be discussed with your Audiologist How do I get used to wearing a hearing aid By wearing the hearing aids you are teaching yourself to listen again When your hearing deteriorates it takes time to get used to all the new background noises and hearing speech can be strange to start with Just like glasses it takes ...

Page 12: ...ppointment to allow for this adjustment I ve been given two hearing aids should I wear them both together Wearing two hearing aids gives a much more balanced more natural sound It will also be easier to locate where sounds are coming from when both hearing aids are worn The hearing aids have been programmed as a pair and if you only wear one aid the settings may be incorrect for your hearing loss ...

Page 13: ...lease note The hearing aids should not get wet During showering heavy rain at the hairdressers etc they should be removed to prevent damage If the aid is damaged through negligence a charge may be incurred ...

Page 14: ...tive ON OFF on your hearing aid Ask your Audiologist for further details Rocker Switch Push Button Remote Control Changing the battery Open the battery compartment Remove coloured sticker from new battery place battery in drawer with symbol on battery side up You should only remove the protective sticker when you actually use the battery Close battery door Your battery size is 312 13 675 1 2 3 ...

Page 15: ...sh button or rocker switch Your audiologist has assigned your desired functions to the controls With two hearing aids these can be set to adjust the volume on one side and switch hearing programs on the other Volume control When the volume control is at maximum or minimum levels the hearing aid will indicate this with beeps If you continue to press the volume button the volume will not increase or...

Page 16: ...onfiguration Everyday Listening Upon switching the hearing aid on program one is active This program automatically and continually adjusts the digital features of the hearing aid for you to ensure that speech is comfortable and audible from all directions Noisy Environment This program reduces noise from behind the listener and focuses more on speech from the front Loop System Telecoil This progra...

Page 17: ...f your ear as shown in the picture bottom right This will make the voice of the person calling louder for you Telephone program You may prefer a certain volume when using the telephone Ask your Audiologist to configure a telephone program Switch to the telephone program whenever you are on the phone 1 2 Using the telephone ...

Page 18: ...button is pressed again you will hear three beeps and so on 1 2 3 4 5 6 Everyday Listening Please note To reset your hearing aid to the original program 1 press the program button until only one beep is heard or alternatively to reset all settings turn the aid off and on again Do not use the loop setting 3 unless you are in the vicinity of a loop system If the loop setting is active at any other t...

Page 19: ...all size remote control which is small enough to carry on a key ring yet powerful enough to control all essential features The easyTek audio streamer is available for all Contrast hearing aids easyTek provides audio streaming for devices such as smartphones tablets and televisions direct to the Teneo hearing aids The easyTek App provides an ultra discreet easy way for you to control your Contrast ...

Page 20: ...e mould into the fold of your ear Put the bottom half of the mould down into your ear Press the mould piece firmly into your ear You may need to use your other hand to stretch your ear to ease fitting Hook the aid over the top of your ear Turn the hearing aid on 1 2 3 4 5 Elbow Mould Top point of mould Hearing aid ...

Page 21: ...21 Please refer to your User Guide for specific safety information and your user control configuration Follow the safety information to avoid damage and injury 5 4 3 2 1 ...

Page 22: ...your Audiologist for more information about a cleaning kit which you may purchase from the Audiology Department Carefully reconnect the ear mould to the hearing aid Ensure the ear mould and hearing aid are connected correctly Align correctly by placing the ear mould curve to the inside curve of the hearing aid 1 2 3 4 5 Please note When the tubing becomes discoloured contact the Audiology Departme...

Page 23: ...23 5 4 3 2 1 Left Right ...

Page 24: ...into a taper Pull old tubing out and keep for later Push tapered end into ear mould and feed through the hole If there are two holes in your ear mould use the top hole Feed through until bend reaches ear mould and tube is in an upright position 4 6 5 3 2 1 ...

Page 25: ...25 Cut tapered end close to the ear mould Line up with old tubing and cut to same length Reattach hearing aid to ear mould Curve of the ear mould should line up with curve of the hearing aid 10 11 9 8 7 ...

Page 26: ...he LifeTip between the thumb and forefinger and insert the LifeTip into your ear canal Gently work it into position to make sure it is firmly in your ear Take the anchor of the ThinTube and flick it into the bowl of your ear to improve the retention of the LifeTip Turn the hearing aid on 1 2 3 Anchor ThinTube Hearing aid LifeTip ...

Page 27: ...27 Please refer to your User Guide for specific safety information and your user control configuration Follow the safety information to avoid damage and injury 4 3 2 1 ...

Page 28: ...Please note Do not remove LifeTip It should be replaced by an Audiologist unless you have been shown how to do so ThinTubes will need to be replaced every 3 6 months Spare tubing can be issued from the Audiology Department to save patients from returning for each replacement LifeTips should be replaced every 1 to 2 months or as needed For removal of any blockages a cleaning wire can be inserted in...

Page 29: ...29 4 3 2 1 5 ...

Page 30: ...o fast If someone doesn t understand what you are saying try and say it in a different way and slow down How to be a human hearing instrument Here are some tactics your family and friends can use to help you hear more easily It may be helpful to introduce them to your family and friends Please note If you are experiencing difficulties communicating with a particular person or in a specific situati...

Page 31: ... with good lighting away from noise and distractions Don t cover your mouth Speak clearly not too slowly and use normal lip movements natural facial expressions and gestures Think Distance The ideal distance for hearing is between 3 to 6 metres The further away the more difficult it is to hear Get my attention Before you start to speak ensure you are in the same room as the person and you have the...

Page 32: ... years If your needs change assessments are available through your Audiology team Please contact us on 01227 864252 to arrange an appointment Our telephone opening times are 10am 12 noon 2pm 4pm Follow Up Aftercare includes batteries repair and fitting advice Hearing assessment Hearing aid fitting ...

Page 33: ...33 ...

Page 34: ...t if it fails to operate correctly or the case becomes damaged or deformed Leaking batteries damage hearing aids Turn the hearing aids off when not in use to preserve battery life Remove battery when aids are not in use for a prolonged period of time Batteries contain harmful substances that pollute the environment Do not throw away batteries into household refuse Dispose batteries according to na...

Page 35: ...an lotion Do not wear your hearing aid when you are exposed to short waves a strong magnetic field a high frequency field or x rays Do not place your hearing aids in a microwave oven WARNING Connect the audio input only to equipment which conforms to the safety requirements of EN 60065 Hazard of explosion Do not use your hearing aids in areas where there is danger of explosion e g mining Please no...

Page 36: ... stops working Has your hearing aid stopped amplifying sound Turn the aid off and on again You may have accidentally altered the program or volume This should reset the aid Try a new battery Battery power can vary between 1 2 weeks Try separating the tubing from the aid and cup the aid in your hand The aid should whistle If it whistles check the tubing and mould LifeTip for signs of blockage You m...

Page 37: ...37 Remember to Turn OFF and ON Check for blockages Change the battery 1 2 3 If none of this solves the problem contact Audiology to see if it needs to be repaired ...

Page 38: ...m Harvey Hospital Thursday mornings between 9am and 11am at the Royal Victoria Hospital Folkestone If more time is needed we may have to book you an appointment Please note These clinics can be busy at times so please be prepared to wait A booked hearing aid repair and follow up service is also available Please ask your audiologist for details ...

Page 39: ...9 Hearing aid enquiries Please call 01227 864252 Fax 01227 868607 Text 07972 638883 Email EKH TR audiology nhs net Our telephone opening times are 10am 12 noon 2pm 4pm What is a repair Check hearing aid is working correctly New tubes or hooks Cleaning of NHS hearing aids Replace faulty aid as appropriate ...

Page 40: ...40 Replacement battery service Please see the attached list for your local battery replacement service ...

Page 41: ...0 Textphone 020 7296 8001 Email informationline hearingloss org uk Website www actiononhearingloss org uk British Tinnitus Association Information Telephone 0800 018 0527 free of charge within the UK 0114 250 9922 national rate within the UK 44 0 114 250 9922 outside the UK Head Office Ground Floor Unit 5 Acorn Business Park Woodseats Close Sheffield S8 0TB Email info tinnitus org uk Website www t...

Page 42: ...ert hikent org uk Hearing Link Information Hearing Link is here to give you advice information and support Please contact our Helpdesk by phone Telephone 0300 111 1113 Head Office 27 28 The Waterfront Eastbourne East Sussex BN23 5UZ SMS 07526 123255 Email enquiries hearinglink org Website www hearinglink org contactus ...

Page 43: ...lephone 0300 330 9256 or 020 7520 0972 Textphone 0300 330 9256 or 020 7520 0972 Fax 0300 330 9251 Head Office 101 Pentonville Road London N1 9LG Email info sense org uk Website www sense org uk Signia Hearing Aids Website www signia hearing co uk ...

Page 44: ...Dover Kent CT17 0HD Royal Victoria Hospital Folkestone Radnor Park Avenue Folkestone Kent CT19 5BN The Victoria Hospital Deal London Road Deal Kent CT14 9UA Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital Margate St Peters Road Margate Kent CT9 4AN East Kent NHS Audiology Services Tel 01227 864252 Text 07972 638883 Fax 01227 868607 Email EKH TR audiology nhs net www ekhuft nhs uk Our telephone opening t...

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