Better Hearing Consumer

Getting a new hearing aid is exciting for many reasons – more technical sophistication, more comfort, more stylish and the big one, more-better communication. But there’s always a little pain with every gain, right? Every seasoned person with hearing loss grieves for a dying hearing aid and looks forward to a new, replacement device with a mixture of excitement and

It’s all in the small stuff. The ordinary small stuff that, just when you think nothing will surprise or thrill you again when connected to the words hearing loss, something unexpected happens. Perhaps a moment when accessibility is provided when you didn’t anticipate it. Or when, for whatever reason, sound becomes clearer, a conversation becomes easier. Another human suddenly, without

“Excuse me?!” I must have misheard or misunderstood the airline staff person crouched beside me. She repeated, “I want to make sure you have all the accessibility you need. Can I get you anything else, a Braille card?” I hadn’t misheard. “Thank you, but no. My vision is fine, it’s my hearing that needs help.” “I am so embarrassed,” she

If you had only 5 minutes to make a difference in the life of a stranger, would you attempt it? If, in an unexpected moment, a person whose daily world is unconnected to yours, is positioned to embrace your words, because they sense what you’re offering is something they need—would you say something? Five minutes, a fleeting blip in a person’s

I frequently write about Doug, aka the Hearing Husband, because he’s the most important relationship in my life, the person I spend the most time with. He is both my major support team and the leader of the opposition. I’m sure this is typical for most intimate relationships, many of which must deal with one or both people living with

I love hearing care professionals (HCP). Simply put, they help me hear better with their technology expertise, after I’ve settled into a comfortable relationship with an audiologist I trust and who communicates well. I have just spent a few days with my coauthor Shari Eberts at the AudBoss conference, attended by HCPs in private practice. It was a fabulous event

  Last week, I shared an article by Lauren Sherwood about the most painful words a person with hearing loss can be told when asking for something to be repeated. “Never mind.” “Don’t worry about it.” “Oh, nothing.” “It wasn’t important.” The person who responds this way may honestly feel it wasn’t worth repeating, but it’s not their call to

The following article, written by Lauren Sherwood in 2014, almost 10 years ago, is the most widely viewed article ever on HHTM. Her words still resonate with people who have hearing loss and their communication partners. Thank you, Lauren. I am one of an estimated 3.5 million hard-of-hearing Canadians. This doesn’t mean I don’t hear people. Every day, I hear conversations

Last week, I had rare hearing aid catastrophe which, for once, didn’t happen on a weekend. As I wait for the new one to arrive, I got to thinking about previous first days with new hearing aids. Day 1 11 am:  Just got home. I hate to admit this, but about two miles after leaving the clinic, I pulled over. It

In article after book after website about living well with hearing loss, maintaining a sense of humor ranks high on the list of recommended strategies. When I read the advice suggesting we keep our hearing loss funny bone active, I want to yell, “But what if you don’t have one?” I’m not talking about getting jokes or being witty; I’m