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Semin Hear 2022; 43(02): 121-134
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748836
Review Article

A Holistic Approach to Addressing Post-Fitting Needs in the Short and Long Term for New Hearing Aid Users

Sara K. Mamo
1   Department of Communication Disorders, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
,
Tomma Henckel
1   Department of Communication Disorders, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
› Author Affiliations Funding S.K.M. is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (K23DC016855).
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Abstract

Helping your client adjust to being a hearing aid (HA) user and learn to manage their hearing challenges requires a combination of technical skill and psychosocial counseling in the short- and long-term periods. A key aspect of providing support in this time period is to keep the door open for psycho-social-emotional counseling that is often necessary even when the HA user was motivated to make this change, and even when, objectively, they seem to be fit successfully. Another key aspect is not to assume that once they have checked off all the HA fitting boxes, you are done. Over the long term, the user will experience changes in their own hearing abilities and in their life circumstances that will require on-going support to adapt to new communication needs. Approaching the post-fitting period from a person-/family-centered perspective and using a holistic approach to consider how this treatment fits into the HA user's broader life will result in the most success for that person.

Keywords

aural rehabilitation - person-centered care - hearing aids

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Article published online:
26 July 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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