UK NHS users- did you get to choose your HA, or the colour?

melissa · 10-10-2009, 11:30 AM

Hi,

I have a question for people in the UK who have got a hearing aid through the NHS. Were you offered any choice in models, or colours, of the aid or molds? I am not working at the moment, and I should think going private would cost hundreds of pounds, which I don't have.

I am going for a checkup soon and was wondering if I could get coloured aids or molds. I think it is unlikely though, as I have only had my current aids for 3 years, and they are the BTE kind with a tiny tube so I don't have a mold. They fall out sometimes, especially in windy weather, so I think a skeleton mold might be helpful.

As a child I only ever had 3 models of aids- the first was a black box with padded circles on a headband- I was 6 so no idea what model, and the second and third were Starkey pediatric ITE aids, basically flesh coloured plastic, only made bigger for the last pair as my ears had grown. I found all of them amplified things uncomfortably and things were still muffled; I hated wearing aids and only enjoy the quality of sound in the last 3 years since I got my digital aids.

I had no choice whatsover (actually: I tried on BTEs in an appt when I was younger but was told they didn't help me as much so I should have ITE) and now I see pictures and read of people with funky coloured aids or molds, and I want! I'm 24 but I like to be colourful and would love these; in part as people would see and talk more clearly to me- people can't see my aids, even after I tell them to face me, etc, and they forget...

Lissa · 10-10-2009, 12:18 PM

I got no choice whatsoever for my HA, basically got what I was given. But with CI, it's a total different story.

You can choose the colour of the moulds and the type

melissa · 10-10-2009, 01:02 PM

Ah, I wrote a reply but my internet misbehaved. I thought kids could choose coloured molds on the NHS, for their aids? It seems they are widely available from photos people post but I don't know how I'd go about getting one, at least not on the NHS.

Well, I do not have severe enough loss for a CI, though I'm pleased that you get to choose the colour etc, as it involves an operation so I'd want to have some choice about the characteristics of something permanent.

I am waiting for a reply from my audiologist (I emailed her) so I can make an appt and then ask her all these questions I've been posting on here.

I forgot to say- I might try decorating mine with stickers, rhinestones etc, thanks to inspiration from Jenny's pic!

Lissa · 10-10-2009, 01:06 PM

That's great! It's always good to have an email address so you can bombard them with questions and get a written reply to avoid any misunderstandings!

overthepond · 10-10-2009, 01:59 PM

Yes you can, if the audi gives you funny looks, just ingore them, it's for you not them!!!! I had purple, glittery, pink, and plain clear one with a pic in the middle ear molds.
Like Lissa had said i didn't have much choice until i had the implant... Now days they let people choose colours, I am hoping when I go back to my regular Audi for HA for my unimplanted ear I would choose colours over beige!

melissa · 10-10-2009, 03:55 PM

Ah, well I will ask and see if there are any HA choices, or at least mould/tubing choices.

I found this website that says it supplies those to the NHS Ear Moulds for Audiology Departments and Professional Audiologists - Minerva Laboratories UK so I sent them an email about it.

They have coloured tubing which is the only bit I can change unless I get new aids or a mould. Though I had a thought about my tubing today- it screws onto the aid, with threads like an actual screw, but if I screw it on completely then the tubes are at an angle where the aid sticks out of my head and doesn't actually rest on my ear. So I have to unscrew them slightly to keep them level. I wondered if this is a bad thing?

I have the tiny tube things but they fall out/off sometimes. It was interesting to see all the different kinds of moulds they do- I didn't know about all the skeleton types until now.

Overthepond, were the colours you describe for a regular HA or your CI HA? I have seen many photos of people wearing funky moulds and colours in regular HAs, so I'm hoping they'll be available for me. I know phonak make some coloured ones but mine are brown Unison 6, and I think the phonak are for worse losses than mine.

I will let you all know if I get a reply from the audio, if I don't then she might be on holiday or something, and I'll have to phone them. I'm not too bad on phones but I avoid them cos I get anxiety about it.

overthepond · 10-10-2009, 04:02 PM

Re your tubing, as long it doesn't feed back it should be ok.

The coloured moulds were for my regular HA's (i had them from 1999 to 2007) which is Pre CI. I have seen alot of adults nowdays with coloured HA's

Hearing Services from Mary Hare including hearing aids and earmoulds

This where i get mine from (although fitted at my local hosp, then sent away to this place to be made)

melissa · 10-10-2009, 04:30 PM

Thankyou :-) did you have to do anything special/different to get these, or did your hospital just offer the choices?

overthepond · 10-10-2009, 06:16 PM

I just ask for it, if they said no I question it...

10-10-2009, 11:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
melissa Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cheshire, UK. Posts: 188	UK NHS users- did you get to choose your HA, or the colour? Hi, I have a question for people in the UK who have got a hearing aid through the NHS. Were you offered any choice in models, or colours, of the aid or molds? I am not working at the moment, and I should think going private would cost hundreds of pounds, which I don't have. I am going for a checkup soon and was wondering if I could get coloured aids or molds. I think it is unlikely though, as I have only had my current aids for 3 years, and they are the BTE kind with a tiny tube so I don't have a mold. They fall out sometimes, especially in windy weather, so I think a skeleton mold might be helpful. As a child I only ever had 3 models of aids- the first was a black box with padded circles on a headband- I was 6 so no idea what model, and the second and third were Starkey pediatric ITE aids, basically flesh coloured plastic, only made bigger for the last pair as my ears had grown. I found all of them amplified things uncomfortably and things were still muffled; I hated wearing aids and only enjoy the quality of sound in the last 3 years since I got my digital aids. I had no choice whatsover (actually: I tried on BTEs in an appt when I was younger but was told they didn't help me as much so I should have ITE) and now I see pictures and read of people with funky coloured aids or molds, and I want! I'm 24 but I like to be colourful and would love these; in part as people would see and talk more clearly to me- people can't see my aids, even after I tell them to face me, etc, and they forget...

10-10-2009, 12:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lissa Just me....Lissa Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,135 Blog Entries: 3	I got no choice whatsoever for my HA, basically got what I was given. But with CI, it's a total different story. You can choose the colour of the moulds and the type __________________ Proud to be deaf and a CI user!!

10-10-2009, 01:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
melissa Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cheshire, UK. Posts: 188	Ah, I wrote a reply but my internet misbehaved. I thought kids could choose coloured molds on the NHS, for their aids? It seems they are widely available from photos people post but I don't know how I'd go about getting one, at least not on the NHS. Well, I do not have severe enough loss for a CI, though I'm pleased that you get to choose the colour etc, as it involves an operation so I'd want to have some choice about the characteristics of something permanent. I am waiting for a reply from my audiologist (I emailed her) so I can make an appt and then ask her all these questions I've been posting on here. I forgot to say- I might try decorating mine with stickers, rhinestones etc, thanks to inspiration from Jenny's pic! Last edited by melissa; 10-10-2009 at 01:03 PM. Reason: Adding more!

10-10-2009, 01:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
Lissa Just me....Lissa Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,135 Blog Entries: 3	That's great! It's always good to have an email address so you can bombard them with questions and get a written reply to avoid any misunderstandings! __________________ Proud to be deaf and a CI user!!

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10-10-2009, 01:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
overthepond Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Great Britain Posts: 1,280	Yes you can, if the audi gives you funny looks, just ingore them, it's for you not them!!!! I had purple, glittery, pink, and plain clear one with a pic in the middle ear molds. Like Lissa had said i didn't have much choice until i had the implant... Now days they let people choose colours, I am hoping when I go back to my regular Audi for HA for my unimplanted ear I would choose colours over beige!

10-10-2009, 03:55 PM	#6 (permalink)
melissa Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cheshire, UK. Posts: 188	Ah, well I will ask and see if there are any HA choices, or at least mould/tubing choices. I found this website that says it supplies those to the NHS Ear Moulds for Audiology Departments and Professional Audiologists - Minerva Laboratories UK so I sent them an email about it. They have coloured tubing which is the only bit I can change unless I get new aids or a mould. Though I had a thought about my tubing today- it screws onto the aid, with threads like an actual screw, but if I screw it on completely then the tubes are at an angle where the aid sticks out of my head and doesn't actually rest on my ear. So I have to unscrew them slightly to keep them level. I wondered if this is a bad thing? I have the tiny tube things but they fall out/off sometimes. It was interesting to see all the different kinds of moulds they do- I didn't know about all the skeleton types until now. Overthepond, were the colours you describe for a regular HA or your CI HA? I have seen many photos of people wearing funky moulds and colours in regular HAs, so I'm hoping they'll be available for me. I know phonak make some coloured ones but mine are brown Unison 6, and I think the phonak are for worse losses than mine. I will let you all know if I get a reply from the audio, if I don't then she might be on holiday or something, and I'll have to phone them. I'm not too bad on phones but I avoid them cos I get anxiety about it.

10-10-2009, 04:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
overthepond Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Great Britain Posts: 1,280	Re your tubing, as long it doesn't feed back it should be ok. The coloured moulds were for my regular HA's (i had them from 1999 to 2007) which is Pre CI. I have seen alot of adults nowdays with coloured HA's Hearing Services from Mary Hare including hearing aids and earmoulds This where i get mine from (although fitted at my local hosp, then sent away to this place to be made)

10-10-2009, 04:30 PM	#8 (permalink)
melissa Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cheshire, UK. Posts: 188	Thankyou :-) did you have to do anything special/different to get these, or did your hospital just offer the choices?

10-10-2009, 06:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
overthepond Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Great Britain Posts: 1,280	I just ask for it, if they said no I question it...