Hearing Aids

What to look for when selecting an ethical Hearing Aid Company:

  1. Make sure the hearing examiner is actually an Audiologist who has a state license in your state as an Audiologist with either a Master's or Doctorate degree in Audiology from an accredited university. Hearing aids can be sold and fit by Licensed Hearing Aid Dealers, but the examination of your hearing is best done by a formally trained individual and that requires a licensed Audiologist.

  2. Make sure the business offers at least three different Brands of Hearing Aids and that they will give you options, or do they offer just one brand of hearing aid as a solution to your problem. For example, if you are especially active do they offer hearing aids that control for background noise or lesser expensive hearing aids if you are primarily using the aid at home?

  3. Will they work to suit your schedule? We recommend office hour's everyday Monday through Friday at the location where you are buying the hearing aid. Avoid purchasing hearing aids in hotel rooms and temporary "service centers".

  4. The Audiologist or Hearing Aid Specialist should want to keep in touch with you early in the process and book follow up appointments for you to feel more comfortable. Usually one appointment in two or three days and then one appointment each week for a month. These appointments should be included in the cost of the hearing aid and pre-scheduled.

  5. Every hearing aid company is required by state law to offer a 30-day "no-fault and no-questions asked" return policy provided in writing on the day of ordering the hearing aid.

  6. Every hearing aid company is required to offer a least a 30 day trial period for the hearing aids. A longer trial period may be offered at your request or by the business. Every hearing aid should come with some type of adaptation period. Make sure this is time period is put in writing and ask if there is a cost involved in doing this. In most cases there is some sort of return fee. In Florida, this return fee can not exceed $150.00 dollars for one hearing aid and $200.00 for two hearing aids plus 5% of the total cost of the hearing aids as stated in the purchasing contract. These details vary from state to state. Be sure you understand your purchase contract and that all details are included in writing.

  7. A Board Certified Audiologist with formal university training will have the Board Certification notation of "A.B.A." after their credentials by their name which is the American Board of Audiology. A Certified Hearing Aid Specialist with informal training will have the "N.B.C.- H.I.S." credential which is the National Board in Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences certificate. An audiologist who holds a certificate of clinical competence through the American Speech-Hearing Association will have the notation CCC-A by their name.

  8. Both audiologists and fitter/dispensers can be qualified to fit hearing aids. We recommend using an audiology-based practice to define the hearing loss because only audiologists are formally educated and trained to perform comprehensive examinations that will confirm or rule out the need for medical and psychological intervention. Even a well intended dispenser may miss signs of ear disease or brain disorders simply because of the required six month limited educational background.

  9. Beware of misleading claims. Hearing aids can't restore normal hearing or eliminate all background noise. Beware of advertisements or salespeople who claim perfect hearing with their product.

Questions to ask when selecting a company in this industry:

  1. Why do I have hearing loss?

  2. Why choose an Audiologist or a Fitter?

  3. How will this affect my family?

  4. What are the general affects of hearing loss?

  5. Will the hearing aid help me with the telephone or in public places?

  6. What are my payment options?

  7. How does the hearing aid work?

  8. Will I need two hearing aids instead of just one? Why?

  9. How long will my hearing aids last?

  10. What are the symptoms of hearing loss?

  11. Ask the difference between a fitter/dispenser and a board certified audiologist.

  12. Ask if your insurance will cover your hearing aids?

The Basics:

What all hearing aids have in common?

A microphone: The microphone picks up the sound.
An amplifier: This increases the volume of the sound.
A receiver: The receiver sends the sound into your ear so that you can hear it.
A battery: The battery provides power to the electronic parts. 

How hearing aids differ:

  1. Size.

  2. How they're placed in your ear.

    Completely in the canal: These aids are molded to fit inside your ear canal; are the smallest and least visible; have little to no space for add-ons, such as volume controls and directional microphones. Also, the batteries are smaller, so battery life may be shorter. Mostly accommodate mild hearing loss. In-the-canal: An in-the-canal hearing aid fits partly in the ear canal. In-the-canal aids can accommodate mild to moderately severe hearing loss. This style can contain features that won't fit on completely-in-the-canal aids. However, the small size can make them difficult to adjust.

    In-the-ear: An in-the-ear style of hearing aid fills most of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear. This style can be helpful for people with mild to severe hearing loss. In-the-ear aids are more visible to others and may be more vulnerable to picking up wind noise. But its larger size makes them easier to adjust and to put on.

    Behind-the-ear: Behind-the-ear hearing aids include a component that rests behind your ear. It conducts sound to an ear mold that fits inside your ear canal. This type of aid is appropriate for almost all levels of hearing loss and for people of all ages. Behind-the-ear aids are the largest, most visible type of hearing aid, though some new versions are much smaller, and barely visible. Behind-the-ear hearing aids can be the most powerful and often the most easily adjustable type of hearing aid.

  3. Hearing aid electronics

    • Basic analog. Amplifies all sounds equally. Basic analog amplifies all sounds linearly. Analog instruments were once the least expensive option available in the marketplace. However, as technological advancements have been made, analog hearing instruments are not any less expensive than basic digital technology. Analog hearing aids are in less production. Some companies only make digital hearing aids.

    • Programmable analog. This type of technology is a hybrid. It is an analog hearing aid with digital sound processing which can be adjusted to amplify sounds differently. Softer sounds can be amplified more, and loud sounds can be amplified less. The added flexibility translates into higher costs. With digital advancements, programmable analog hearing aids are generally being phased out.

    • Digital. A computer chip converts the incoming sound into digital code, then analyzes and adjusts the sound based on your hearing loss and listening needs. Digital hearing aids come with a wide range of options that may be appropriate for an individual consumer’s specific needs to assist with improving one’s speech understanding in one or more listening environment.

With most hearing aids, the smaller a hearing aid is, the less powerful it is, the shorter its battery life and the more it will cost.

Don’t base your hearing aid on looks alone, it may not be the best choice for your hearing loss or listening needs.

Assistive Listening technology

Many different types of assistive listening devices are available. These range from telephone amplifiers, audio neck loops, to FM and infrared systems. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are designed to enable people to hear better in specific environments, such as business meetings, conferences, and classrooms. 

     After interviewing and running an extensive background check the National Association Against Consumer Fraud has awarded the following business a listing in The Business A-List:

Anne Hains Peters, M.A., CCC-A, LLC.

1502 Lucerne Terrace
Orlando, FL 32806
Phone (407) 841-3620

Anne Hains Peters, M.A., CCC-A has been an integral part of Central Florida's Hearing Health Community for over 30 years. Ms. Peters received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and her Master's Degree from the University of Tennessee. She was an adjunct professor at UCF where she supervised students in Clinical Audiology and taught course in Communicative Disorders. For the past 25 years, her office has been associated with an Ear, Nose and Throat physician which enables her patients to receive a complete audiological evaluation. It is the belief of Anne Hains Peters, M.A., CCC-A that our job is not finished until our patients' lives are improved. We will work with you to find the hearing solution that best fits your needs and financial capabilities.

 

 
 

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