Hearing Aid Care

Given the high prevalence of hearing loss in the elderly, many care givers are faced with the task of caring for hearing aids. Professional health care in Silver Spring Maryland can help care givers accomplish this task. Below are some tips. 

Cleaning Hearing Aids 

At night, wipe the body of the hearing aid with a lint-free cloth. Do not use alcohol or water on the body. If the hearing aid has a mold, you may remove and clean the mold with water and an air blower. Make sure it is completely dry before reattaching to the hearing aid. Special hearing aid sprays may be found online if needed. Use a small brush to remove debris from hearing aid microphone ports and speakers. Consider purchasing a hearing aid dehumidifier; place the aid in this at night in order to draw out moisture. 

Changing Batteries 

Patients with dexterity problems often have trouble changing batteries. Many audiologists provide black brush tools that have a magnet on one end. This magnet may be used to remove and replace a battery. In addition, there are batteries available in drugstores that have extra long sticker tabs. Hold on to the tab and remove it only after the battery is seated in place. Another strategy is to routinely change batteries for the patient once a week, because most batteries last about a week. Use locks on battery doors if there is as a danger that a patient will swallow batteries. Patients and families may also want to consider rechargeable hearing aid models. 

Prevent Loss of Aids 

Make sure that hearing aids are placed in the same spot every night. Special clips may be purchased to attach hearing aids to clothing to prevent loss if they fall out. When ordering new custom hearing aids, request that the patient’s name be printed on the body so that they do not get mixed up with other patients’ hearing aids. 

It’s important for elderly people to hear and communicate. If they have hearing aids, help them hear better by cleaning the aids, changing the batteries, and employing loss prevention strategies.