Hearing aid follow up for adults
In this topic you will learn about how to complete hearing aid follow up for adults.
Instruction
If you haven’t already, download the TAP Preprogrammed hearing aids follow up form for adults and print a copy.
Renseignements sur la personne
The first part of the TAP hearing aids follow up for adults involves collecting contact information about the person including their name, gender, age, telephone, and address.
Instruction
Commencez par recueillir des informations générales sur la personne.
Follow up interview
The same follow up form is used for the appointment at:
- Two weeks
- Two months
- Two years.
Instruction
Tick box in the column matching the follow up appointment.
Hearing aid comfort and experience
Ask questions to find out if the person is satisfied with the comfort and experience of using their hearing aids.
Instruction
Posez les questions suivantes :
- Are your hearing aids comfortable?
- How is your experience with your hearing aids?
- If the person confirms their hearing aids are comfortable and is satisfied with the experience of using their hearing aids Continue.
- If the person answers no or is experiencing any problems Write response in notes.
Vous souvenez-vous de Malicka ?
Malicka is 70 years old and a grandmother. The health worker calls her for a two week follow up appointment. They check if Malicka is benefitting from her preprogrammed hearing aids.
Malicka tells the health worker the hearing aids are comfortable. The level of sound is not comfortable. It is too loud. The health worker records this in the notes. They reassure Malicka they will problem solve the sound level and check she can still hear conversations clearly.
Hearing aid use
Instruction
Ask: Think about how much you have used your hearing aids over the past two weeks. On a normal day, how many hours did you use your hearing aids?
- If the person is usually using their hearing aids for less than four hours a day, they are not benefitting enough from their hearing aids Ask why and write response in notes.
- If the person is usually using their hearing aids for four hours or more Continue.
Conseil
It can be helpful to keep a diary of hearing aid use for the first two weeks to record:
- How much they are using their hearing aids each day
- When their hearing aids have helped/not helped
- Any problems using their hearing aids.
Hearing aid helped
Instruction
Ask: Think about a situation where you most wanted to hear better, before you started using your hearing aids. Over the past two weeks, how much have your hearing aids helped in that situation?
- If the person says the hearing aids have not helped at all or only helped slightly Ask why and write response in notes.
- If the person is benefitting moderately or more Continue.
Vous souvenez-vous de Malicka ?
Malicka wanted to hear her family better when they all speak together at mealtimes.
The health worker asks her to select how much the hearing aids have helped in this situation.
- Not at all
- Slightly
- Moderately
- Quite a lot
- Very much
Malicka says that she is getting moderate benefit from her hearing aids in this situation.
The health worker discusses tips for improving hearing in noisy environments and books a follow up call to check on progress in two months.
Follow up plan
Use this part of the form to help you and the person decide next actions.
Use the answers from the interview to inform the follow up plan.
Always encourage the person to return to the service at any time if they experience any difficulties with their hearing or hearing aids.
Two week and two month follow up
A person is fully benefitting from their hearing aids if they:
- Are satisfied with their hearing aid comfort and experience
- Use their hearing aids more than four hours a day
- Benefit from using their hearing aids moderately or more.
Instruction
- If yes to all Person is fully benefitting. Book next follow up.
- If no to any Person is not fully benefitting. Check notes and carry out problem solving. If this does not help, do an in person follow up to carry out ear health and product check.
- If solution not possible Discuss with your mentor and if needed Refer to ear and hearing professional.
Question
Vous souvenez-vous de John ?
John est retraité et vit avec son épouse Mary.
The health worker asks John “How is your experience with your hearing aids?”.
John answers that he is happy. He has not experienced any problems using his hearing aids. He is using his hearing aids for three hours a day when watching television at night. The hearing aids have helped very much while watching television.
Check John’s follow up interview:
1. Is John satisfied with the comfort and experience of his hearing aids?
Sélectionnez une réponse.
Oui, c'est exact.
John has answered yes to hearing aid comfort and is not experiencing problems with his hearing aids.
2. Is John using his hearing aids more than four hours a day?
Sélectionnez une réponse.
La bonne réponse est Non.
John is using his hearing aids for three hours a day while watching television. Encourage John to build up use at other times to fully benefit from his hearing aids.
3. How much have the hearing aids helped John when watching the television?
Sélectionnez une réponse.
Very much is correct!
John is benefiting very much while watching the television.
4. Refer to the two week follow up section of the follow up form. Is John benefitting fully from using his hearing aids?
Sélectionnez une réponse.
La bonne réponse est Non.
Although John is satisfied with his hearing aids and benefitting moderately or more, he is wearing his hearing aids less than four hours per day. This means he is not benefitting as much as he could. It is important to ask more questions to find out why.
Encourage John to build up his hearing aid use and increase the number of hours that he uses the hearing aids. This will help him to hear and participate more.
Two year follow up
This appointment is a reassessment. It should be in person.
You will need a screen form, the person’s original assessment form and the follow up form.
It is also important to check the hearing aids are clean and working.
Instruction
Complete new:
- Examen des oreilles
- Hearing test.
Adjust hearing aid programme if hearing test results have changed.
Instruction
Refer to the TAP Hearing assistive products module for more information on ear health checks.
Two year follow up plan
Continue to ask questions to check how the person is benefitting from their hearing aids including:
- Hearing aid comfort and experience
- Hearing aid use
- Hearing aid helped.
Instruction
- If yes to all Person is fully benefitting. Follow up in two years to repeat ear health screen and hearing test.
- If no to any Person is not fully benefitting. Check notes and problem solving table.
- If solution not possible discuss with your mentor and if needed Refer to ear and hearing professional.
Question
Remember Delroy?
Delroy is 79 years old. He was fitted with hearing aids after a hearing test.
Delroy returns for follow up after two years. You carry out an ear health check and his ears are healthy. You repeat his hearing test and his right and left ears have the same grade of hearing loss as two years ago.
Delroy says he is using his hearing aids for eight hours per day and is overall satisfied with his hearing aids.
What action would you take?
Sélectionnez une réponse.
Si vous avez choisi la réponse d, vous avez raison.
Delroy is an adult. He should come back for an in person follow up in two years. Ask Delroy to contact the service sooner if he experiences any difficulties with his hearing aids.
Avertissement
Discuss with your mentor if the person has a significant change in their hearing test. For example, changing more than one grade of hearing loss.
Product check
Complete a product check during the two year follow up.
Use a listening tube and the six Ling sounds to check each hearing aid is working:
- If both hearing aids are clean and working well, no action is needed.
- If one or both hearing aids are not working Clean and replace any worn or damaged parts. If this does not help discuss with your mentor and if needed, send to manufacturer.
Check the problem solving table if the person describes any problems with how their hearing aid is working.
Instruction
Tick if the hearing aids are clean and working.