Month: June 2019

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Surprising Ways To Lose Your Hearing Aids

lost hearing aids

With all of our various gadgets, devices, and wearable tech, it’s no wonder that Americans spend an average of 2.5 whole days each and every year looking for their lost belongings. As you might imagine, the smaller things are, the easier it is to lose them, which doesn’t bode well for important, yet tiny, medical devices, such as hearing aids.
Thanks to modern technology, our hearing aids have gotten smaller and smaller, which is awesome for those of us who like to rock the latest in invisible in-the-ear hearing aids, but not-so-great when we accidentally misplace our hearing devices. Especially when we consider the high cost of hearing aids, losing them is more than a minor inconvenience.
Avoid Misplacing Your Hearing Aids
One of the main reasons why people misplace their hearing aids is because they don’t have a set hearing aid routine, which can help people be more responsible hearing aid owners. A good way to avoid losing your hearing aids is to wear them whenever you’re awake since it’s pretty difficult to lose your hearing aids when they’re in your ears.
Additionally, it’s important to develop good hearing aid habits, such as always placing your hearing aids in their carrying case or in their charging station when you’re not wearing them. By putting your hearing aids in the same place every time, you’re less likely to lose them or misplace them.
That being said, sometimes this is easier said than done. Especially if you’re tired and just want to take a nap on the couch, it can be tempting to set your hearing aids down on the coffee table. But, when you wake up and walk over to the kitchen to make a snack, you’ll likely forget where you placed your hearing aids, creating some unnecessary panic for your day.
Additionally, it can be helpful to keep a hearing aid carrying case on you at all times. If you carry around a handbag, laptop case, or a small backpack with you to work or on your travels, leaving a small hearing aid case in one of the pockets can be a great way to keep track of where your hearing aids are if you need to take them out.
Odd Places To Lose Your Hearing Aids
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our hearing aids can get away from us. In fact, people have had their small in-the-ear hearing aids fall out of their ears in some strange places, such as in a parking lot, or even at the bottom of a dishwasher.
The most common reason hearing aids seem to disappear, you ask? Your family dog. While young Fido might be a great pup, he might also be your prime suspect when your hearing aids go missing. Dogs have been known to use hearing aids as their personal chew toys, which is a huge financial loss, as well as a medical concern for your pup.
Oh, and don’t forget about your batteries, either. Hearing aid batteries are, for better or for worse, quite small and shiny, so they’re a prime choking hazard for young children. Keep your hearing aids and your batteries in a protective case and out of reach of your children and your pets at all times.
How To Deal With Lost Hearing Aids
If, despite your best efforts, you manage to lose your hearing aids, you’ll want to get in contact with your hearing health care provider right away. Sometimes, your hearing healthcare provider will have loaner pairs that they can lend to you while you file a warranty claim or wait for a new pair to arrive.
Although replacing a lost pair of hearing aids is a major financial investment, it’s important to do so as soon as possible. Going without your hearing aids for too long can be detrimental to your health, so if you’ve lost or damaged your hearing aids, be sure to get them replaced right away!

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Job Hunting With A Hearing Loss

job hunting with hearing loss

If you have a hearing loss and are job seeking, you may be wondering what you need to do to land the job successfully. When seeking a job, it is essential to put the hearing loss to the side and realize that to get hired you must be the best candidate for the position. Despite being hearing impaired, you must do what the other candidates are doing to prepare for the job. You will need the right tools in place as well as an understanding of your hearing loss. It is essential to understand what work accommodations will work for you and how to go about getting them. Here is advice to help you with your next job hunt.

Filling Out The Application

When applying for jobs, make sure you pick ones for which you are qualified. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 makes discrimination against any qualified employee with disabilities unlawful. Ask yourself if you can perform the essential functions of the job and if your experience qualifies you for the work. A job announcement will probably list the crucial tasks of a job, or it will come up in the job interview discussion. If not, ask! What skills does the job require? Be sure you have the expertise to perform the essential functions. Check out www.ada.gov for multiple resources to help you.

When To Tell A Prospective Employer Of Your Hearing Loss

An employer is not allowed to ask you about medical conditions or make your employment contingent upon passing a medical exam. It is your decision when to discuss your hearing loss with an employer. Please understand that an employer can ask if you can perform the job duties with or without accommodation. When you do decide to speak to the employer, here are a few tips that may help you:

  • If you are involved in a telephone interview and use phone captioning, tell the prospective employer about possible response delays.
  • You will need to disclose your hearing loss if you require CART or a sign language interpreter.
  • If you believe you will need accommodations for the job to participate in meetings, phone calls, or other work tasks, inform the employer at the job interview.
  • Having a positive attitude and being comfortable with your hearing loss may give you an advantage during an interview as you display a can-do attitude which employers value.

Use Your Strengths

If you have a hearing loss, try to avoid any job that may emphasize your limitations. Even if an employer will make reasonable accommodations, try to find jobs that need minimal accommodations. Does the job require functioning as a team? If this is the situation, try to locate work where all team members are in one place as opposed to using teleconferences. Avoid those jobs that are carried out in noisy environments unless it will benefit your job performance.
Don’t make an apology for your hearing loss and don’t dwell on it. Instead, keep the focus on what you can do for the employer and how you can be a tremendous asset to their company. Remember, the employer is trying to imagine you as a part of their work team. It is up to you to make sure they see you and your talents and not your hearing loss.