The May 20 meeting featured a lively Q and A session with Ellen Lafargue, Director of Audiology at the Center for Hearing and Communication, Michael Bergen, Director of Brooklyn College's Speech and Hearing Center, and Jaclyn Spitzer, Director of Audiology and Pathology at Columbia University Medical Center. Read on for a sampling of the exchanges.

Q. Seniors sometimes have difficulty loading batteries into their hearing aids. Is there some way to make this task easier?

A. There is no battery-changing device, but some manufacturers sell hearing aids that are rechargeable so that the battery only has to be replaced every few months.

Q. If I want a particular type of hearing aid, how do I determine where to purchase that aid?

 A. Go to the manufacturer's website and click on "Find a Hearing Center," "Find a Clinic," or "Find an Audiologist."

Q. How do I determine which hearing aid manufacturer an audiologist works with?

A. You can ask directly whether the audiologist or hearing center dispenses products from one manufacturer or several manufacturers. Bear in mind that you're not looking for the audiologist with the longest list of manufacturers; you want audiologists who are very knowledgeable about the products they dispense.

Q. A key reason many people avoid purchasing hearing aids is the steep cost. What are the benefits of a $800 or $1,000 hearing aid vs. a $3,000 or $4,000 aid?

A. People who are very active professionally and socially will be better off with the technology that is available in more expensive hearing aids. Someone who spends most of his or her time in a quiet environment probably will do fine with a less technologically advanced - and therefore cheaper - aid. Because in New York hearing aid consumers are entitled to a 45-day trial period, a good strategy is to try different aids to assess which device best meets your communication needs. Bear in mind, too, that technology changes over time. If you have become accustomed to an aid that is no longer on the market, one option is to purchase a refurbished hearing aid that has the features you prefer. Less pricey devices that help people with hearing loss include loop receivers and, for home use, infrared wireless headphones.

Q. What is being done to educate audiologists about how to educate people with hearing loss regarding the extent of their hearing loss and what is the best way to compensate for and cope with that loss?

A. People have to be their own best advocates; if you're not asking questions and challenging recommendations that don't seem suitable for you, you're being passive. You want to be an independent person with a hearing loss and an independent consumer. 

The audiologists acknowledged that a 45-day or even a 60-day trial period is not sufficient time to adjust to a new hearing aid; the process takes from six to nine months. The trial period does, however, give users an opportunity to gauge whether they are doing better than they were with their previous aid - or without an aid. If necessary, many audiologists will call the manufacturer to secure an extension of the trial period.

Welcome y'all to my report about the 2014 HLAA Convention in Austin, Texas, attended by NYC chapter members Jerry Bergman, Sharon Bermon, Katherine Bouton, Barbara Bryan, Holly Cohen, Mary Fredericks, John Friedman, Joe Gordon, Toni Iacolucci, Carol Karasick, Anne Pope, and Gail Weiss.

Reports on rapid changes - inexpensive PSAPs (personal sound amplifiers), big box stores selling hearing aids, and new assistive technologies - took center stage at this convention.

At the Wireless Hearing Technology Workshop, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon reps reported on their hearing loss services. During Q&A time I received a big round of applause after saying, "Whenever I go to my Verizon store, the staff has no idea how to answer my questions or communicate with me. It's time that sales reps were trained to assist customers with hearing loss. We represent a huge potential market." I repeated that request at the Emerging Technology Symposium the next day, and was told by Stephen Ewell, Executive Director of the Consumer Electronics Association Foundation, that the association is aware of the problems and is working on them.

At the opening session, HLAA Executive Director Anna Gilmore Hall said that HLAA is making a concerted effort to recruit members and get more national name recognition

 Composer Richard Einhorn spoke about his coping journey after sudden hearing loss. He uses a collection of assistive devices and apps that help him, he said, "thrive with hearing loss."

"Facilitating Communication with Smart Phones," presided over by audiologist Perry C. Hanavan, was an ear-opening event. In addition to learning about different ways to use smart phones, we heard about apps that control hearing aids, flash lights to notify you when the doorbell is ringing, and translate sign language into English.

At the Saturday evening Fiesta banquet, writer and hearing loss consultant Gael Hannan gave a laugh-till-your-sides-split performance about the vagaries of hearing loss. (For more on Gael's routine, see her blog entry in this issue of N&V.)

See you in St. Louis, June 25-28, 2015! 

Some who attend our Chapter meetings and receive our emails are not yet HLAA members. While our meetings are free and open to anyone, why not join HLAA and get all the benefits of membership? 

These include:

Questions? Call 212-769-HEAR or email [email protected].

TWO OF OUR OWN HONORED AT NATIONAL CONVENTION

HLAA-NYC Chapter members Mary Fredericks and Ellen Semel were honored at the HLAA Convention in Austin, Texas.

Mary, who has been the indispensable secretary of our chapter since its inception, received the Spirit of HLAA Award.

Ellen, a driving force in the looping movement, received the Marcia Dugan Advocacy Award, which Anne Pope accepted on her behalf. We congratulate them both.