Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Purchasing a hearing aid is not the same as purchasing an appliance at a store. When purchasing a hearing aid you are also paying for the services that go along with it, such as, the audiologist’s time to program the aid, follow up visits for adjustments, future visits for follow up testing, periodic cleaning and maintenance, insurance against loss, etc.

An E.N.T., otherwise known as an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, is a medical doctor who specializes in diseases of the ears, nose and throat.

In ordinary circumstances, the answer is no. You can visit an audiologist or Hearing Instrument Practitioner without a referral from a medical doctor. However, any unexplained condition, such as, sudden hearing loss, ear pain, discharge from the ear, etc. it is important see your doctor and perhaps be referred to an E.N.T. for further investigation. Audiologists are trained to detect problems with the ear that can be corrected medically and will refer you to your doctor, if deemed necessary.

A telecoil is a small coil incorporated in a hearing aid which allows it to receive sound magnetically from an electric field. Telecoils were originally invented to pick up the sound from a telephone receiver while muting the hearing aid microphone to eliminate background sounds. The telecoil also allows the person to hear in venues equipped with an audio loop system, again, with the same effect of eliminating background sounds to improve a group listening environment.

A loop system consists of an amplifier with a microphone(s) or other sound source connected to a wire running around the perimeter of a room. The system creates a magnetic field in the room modulated by the sound being input to the system that can be picked up by the telecoil in the hearing aid. Loop systems are installed in many churches, community centres, meeting rooms, etc. These allow the person with telecoil equipped hearing aids to hear clearly without the interference of background noise, reverberation and other disturbing sounds.

The Online Hearing Loss Mentoring Program is a web-based mentoring program for people with hearing loss, using volunteer peers who are personally experienced in coping with the effects of the loss of hearing ability.

Mentors attend a mentor training workshop and yearly refresher sessions facilitated by CHHA. The training workshop provides an overview of mentoring and explains the requirements for being a mentor. A training manual is provided to each mentor.

Mentors will be selected by mentees from a group of available mentors on the CHHA Online Hearing Loss Mentor website. Mentees can read a mentor’s profile to determine whether there is a good match between the two.

If a specific mentoring relationship doesn’t work out, contact info@chha.ca.

All information shared and obtained as a result of the mentoring process is strictly confidential, and is not to be discussed outside of the mentoring situation under any circumstances unless agreed upon, in advance, by all parties concerned.

To find out about participating in the Online Hearing Loss Mentoring Program, contact info@chha.ca.