HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION- OF AMERICA QUIET CORNER CHAPTER
NEWS
MARCH 2008
A PUBLICATION OF Hearing Loss Association of America Quietcorner Chapter,
AN AFFILIATE OF HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
A NON-PROFIT, TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION P.O. BOX 314, ASHFORD, CONNECTICUT
06278
WEB SITE: http://qcshhh.tripod.com/
A movement to change the way the world thinks about hearing
loss and the way individuals with hearing loss think about themselves
Next Meeting
At the next meeting, March 8 th at Ashford Senior Housing (across the street from the Town Hall), our speaker will be Eva Bero, an Audiologist from
UMass. She is Norm’s audiologist since he got his implant. She will discuss ; ‘Hearing aids and how they work’.
Norm has speakers lined up for meetings the rest of
the year.
Last Meeting
At the last meeting our speaker called and cancelled as his daughter
went to the emergency room. He would like to reschedule for later in the year.
The elections were held and the present officers were reelected
Erika Bolanis brought her new hearing dog to the meeting and showed
him off! He lets her know when the phone is ringing or if someone is at the door. He is very well behaved and is very friendly.
We had a birthday cake for Norm and sang him ‘Happy Birthday’.
Any data DID YOU KNOW?
The microphones used in directional hearing aids are delicate, and they are subject to daily wear and tear. It
is quite easy for things to happen to these aids that cause the directional features to degrade or even to disappear. It also
has been noted that new aids—direct from the factory—may have defective microphones, resulting in improper operation.
Testing is therefore useful and recommended for all directional fittings, as this can alert the dispensing professional to
a problem and reduce user dissatisfaction.
THE HEARING REVIEW: JANUARY 2006 ISSUE
Open fitting hearing aids may be a mixed blessing. On one hand, more people with a high frequency hearing loss
will agree to wear hearing aids that are almost totally free of occlusion, and the fit is instant and easy. On the other hand,
the indiscriminant use of open fittings can compromise the integrity of fittings, especially audibility in the important high
frequencies.
THE HEARING REVIEW: FEBRUARY 2006 ISSUE
A custom hearing instrument requires an earpiece to couple the device
with the ear canal both acoustically and physically. For a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, the coupler is called an earmold;
for an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid, it is an earshell. To make a custom earmold or earshell, a model of the ear is required.
The model, called an ear impression, is obtained by filling the external ear with soft putty plastic, commonly silicone. The
silicone polymerizes and sets up in the ear within minutes and becomes the ear’s true negative replica. There remains
a direct relationship between the impression-taking technique, the skills of the technician who crafts the earpiece, and the
patient’s satisfaction with the hearing instrument.
FROM THE HEARING REVIEW: APRIL 2006
INTERNET PROTOCOL CAPTIONED
TELEPHONE SERVICE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION FROM INTERSTATE TRS FUND
For Immediate Release: December 20, 2006
Washington,
D.C. – Today the Commission adopted a Declaratory Ruling finding that Internet Protocol (IP) captioned telephone service
(IP CTS) is a type of telecommunications relay service (TRS) eligible for compensation from the Interstate TRS Fund (Fund).
The Commission acted in response to a petition by Ultratec, Inc., that was widely supported by the disability community.
An
IP captioned telephone call can be set up similar to a two-line captioned telephone call, except that the line from the user
to the provider would be via the Internet, not a second PSTN line. The consumer would make a voice to voice call to the other
party on a standard telephone and the PSTN; at the same time, the voice of the called party is directed from the consumer’s
telephone to a personal computer (or similar device) that routes it to the provider via the Internet. The provider, in turn,
sends back to the consumer the text of what was spoken. As a result, the consumer can both hear (to the extent possible) what
the called party is saying over the standard voice telephone headset, and read the text of what the called party said on the computer or similar device.
IP
CTS will benefit consumers by giving them the flexibility of using a computer, PDA, or wireless device to make such a call,
without having to purchase special telephone equipment. In addition, captions
provided on a computer screen can accommodate a much wider group of individuals, including persons with low vision, because
they can take advantage of the large text, variable fonts, and variable colors that are available.
HEAR ACT INTRODUCED TO ELIMINATE EXCLUSION OF HEARING A FROM MEDICARE
WASHINGTON,
DC – Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Palm Harbor) has introduced HR 1912, the Medicare
Hearing Enhancement and Auditor Rehabilitation (HEAR) Act, which is designed
to help seniors better afford hearing aids and other auditory rehabilitation services.
According to the National Institutes
of Health (HIA), hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people over
60 and half of those over 85 have hearing loss. Medicare is specifically prohibited from paying for hearing aids by federal
law. HR1912 would repeal this prohibition and direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop coverage policies
based on other federal hearing aid programs, such as those currently offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department
of Defense through its Tricare health program. HR1912 also would provide Medicare coverage for auditory rehabilitation services
so that Medicare beneficiaries can receive needed ongoing care to optimize their hearing with the use of a hearing aid.
“We
must begin a national discussion on how to help seniors afflicted with hearing loss or impairment, especially with more and
more baby-boomers suffering from this condition becoming Medicare-eligible,” said Bilirakis. “As an American with
hearing loss, I understand all too well the frustrations associated with this condition.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association (ASHA), Rockville, Md, applauded Representative Bilirakis for introducing HEAR, stating that HR1912 would provide
Medicare coverage for hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation services for seniors with hearing loss. “Congressman
Bilirakis has demonstrated vital leadership in advancing this important discussion on Medicare's role in hearing loss among
American seniors,” says Dennis Burrows, PhD, executive director of the Constance Brown Hearing Centers in Kalamazoo,
Mich, and ASHA Executive Board member. “The Medicare HEAR legislation recognizes the critical value of providing auditory
rehabilitation services from qualified professionals, such as audiologists, in addition to the hearing aids themselves,”
says Burrows. “Without auditory rehabilitation services, consumers will not get the full benefit of their hearing aids.”
“ASHA
has a leading, abiding, and very active commitment to making help like that addressed by the Medicare HEAR Act accessible
to the public,” says ASHA President Noma Anderson, PhD. “We applaud Congressman Bilirakis for introducing such
important legislation. ASHA looks forward to working closely with him on making hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation services
more available to our seniors who need them.”
The bill will encounter the challenge of being introduced in a
time when fiscal restraint is a buzzword in Washington. Additionally, it has been pointed out by several hearing care and
industry experts that Medicare coverage would almost certainly require fundamental changes in the way in which most dispensing
audiologists conduct business and bill for their products and services
Don’t Miss It!
Hearing Loss Association of America
Convention 2008
June 12 – 15
Grand
Sierra Resort and Casino
Reno, Nevada
Membership Application
NAME: _________________________________________ADDRESS: _________________________________________TELEPHONE:
_________________________ (TTY: ___YES, ____NO) E-MAIL ADDRESS: _________________________________________ANNUAL ACTIVITY FEE
(per Calendar year): SINGLE $15/YR _____ FAMILY $25/YR _____SPOUSE (if family participation): _________________________________DO
YOU REQUIRE ANY ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES FOR MEETINGS? YES___ NO___ IF YES, PLEASE SPECIFY:________________________________________________________________BRIEF
HISTORY OF HEARING DIFFICULTY:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ARE
YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING ON ANY CHAPTER COMMITTEES, SUCH AS MEMBERSHIP, PUBLICITY, NEWSLETTER, OUT REACH, FUND RAISING?
YES ____ NO ____. IF SO, PLEASE SPECIFY AREA OF INTEREST: ________________________________________________________________ARE
YOU A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, Hearing Loss Association of America, INC.? YES_____ NO _____
Please
complete this form with your check payable to QUIET CORNER SHHH, INC., return to QC SHHH @ P. O. Box 314, Ashford CT 06278
QUIET CORNER SHHH, INC.
PO BOX 314
ASHFORD, CT 06278
Officers
President - Norman Babbitt (860) 923-0171 nbabbitt0171@charter.net
Vice President Nance Paulhus (860) 423-4784
Treasurer Robert Balinskas (860)
745-6654 Balinskas@sbcglobal.net
Secretary Ruth Mensing (860) 646-7039
aemensing@snet.net
Board of Directors
Gerald Boone (860) 774-5575
David Kovarovics (860) 429-4690
Nancy Palhus (860) 423-4784
Patricia Rock patrock1944@sbcglobal.net
CAN Operator
Kathy Rivers (860) 202-5297
