At Yost Hearing, your hearing professional takes the time to explain how everything works and make changes based on what you hear during the appointment. We also use verification to check how your new hearing aids perform in your ears. That gives us better information than relying on the manufacturer’s starting settings alone.
What Happens During a Hearing Aid Fitting
Your fitting appointment gives you time to learn how the hearing aids feel, sound and function. Our hearing professional will place them in your ears, check the physical fit and review the controls. You will also learn how to insert, remove and charge them or change the batteries.
The appointment is not meant to rush you out the door with unfamiliar devices. You can practice handling them and ask questions while your Yost Hearing team is “Hear” to help. We will make sure you know the basics before you leave.
Programming Hearing Aids for Your Hearing
Hearing aids arrive with general settings, but those settings still need attention. Your hearing professional programs each device according to the hearing levels in each ear. This helps provide enough support without making sound unnecessarily loud or uncomfortable.
Hearing aids are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each hearing aid is individually programmed and personalized to your specific hearing loss and prescription, helping provide the right amount of amplification for the sounds you need to hear.
Programming may also account for speech, background noise and the types of places where you often listen. Your settings can be changed as you begin wearing the hearing aids in more situations. The first program is a starting point rather than a final setting.
Learning to Use Your Hearing Aids
Our hearing care team will review cleaning, storage and basic troubleshooting before you leave. Additionally, the Yost Hearing team will review the features and settings available with your specific hearing aids and explain how they can help in different listening situations. You can also learn how to use any buttons, phone connections or accessories included with your devices. Our goal is to make sure you understand how your technology works and know how to use the features that are most important to you. Written instructions may help you remember the details once you are home.
It is normal to have more questions after you begin wearing the hearing aids. Some concerns only come up after a phone call, family dinner or full day of listening. Keep track of what you notice so it can be discussed at your follow-up.
Setting Expectations & Getting the Most From Your Hearing Aids
Getting the most from your hearing aids is a process that requires your participation. Be committed to wearing and caring for your hearing aids as recommended and attending your follow-up appointments. These appointments allow the Yost Hearing team to see how things are going and address any concerns. Your brain may take weeks to adjust, so give yourself time to adapt.
Most importantly, communicate with us. Your Yost Hearing team is here to make your hearing aids work for you, but we are not mind readers. If something is too loud, uncomfortable, unclear, or simply not meeting your expectations, please let us know. Your feedback gives us the information we need to make the right changes and help you get the most from your hearing aids. Adjustments are a normal and expected part of the process.