The fitting process can be overwhelming for first-time patients. That is why Beltone Hearing Care Centre prioritizes comfort during the appointment. You’ll never have to worry when a registered hearing instrument practitioner (RHIP) is handling your new device.
An Important Step
Before the fitting, patients will make a decision on their device during the evaluation. This is where a lot of important decisions are made, and it happens long before the hearing fitting and programming step.
Sometimes it helps to take a test run with a hearing aid before committing to it. If this option is available, make sure to ask a professional for your device preference.
On the day of your fitting appointment, take the information you’ve gained and put it on paper. Turn them into questions that you want to ask an RHIP about the new device. Some of these questions may seem trivial, but it’s important to be comfortable with a device you’ll be wearing every day.
The Fitting
The fitting is an achievement in the treatment process. It marks the day you get your hearing devices back from the manufacturer with a programmed prescription. The devices are ready for use, along with a set of nice comfort features.
Since the hearing device is a prescription, it is specially made for the shape of your ear. This custom-fit is an important part of the fitting process. You’ll be asked about your comfort levels in both ears, and the RHIP will talk about hearing, maintenance, cleaning and settings. Around this time would be the perfect opening to ask whatever treatment questions are on your mind.
Live Speech Mapping
Live speech mapping was created as a replacement for older verification methods. It uses visual activity to show what the patient hears in real-time. This is an improved way of handling the final programming steps and is a necessary way to optimize new hearing aids.
The original prescription for hearing aids is fine-tuned based on your current tests and evaluations. This is considered your best programming pre-set based on the information at hand. With live speech mapping, you can fine-tune that programming and bring it up to real-world standards. It’s an essential part of the fitting process that prepares the device and its user for all-day wear.