Twenty + Steps to Use, Care and Maintenance of Hearing Aids

1. Hearing aids should remain dry
1. Hearing aids should be placed within a small bag with rice to absorb moisture when not in use or use dry packs that absorb moisture
2. Dry and store kits are also available for purchase and sometimes given for free
2. Hearing aids should be used everyday, during all waking hours
3. Have a safe place to put hearing aids when sleeping, store in rice bag/box or dry&store kit
4. Hearing aids should be checked daily/every morning:
1. Use stethescope to listen to hearing aid
2. Use six sound test: “ah, oo, ee, ch, s, m”
5. Be careful not to drop hearing aid..they can break
6. When bathing or swimming, hearing aids should be placed in safe, dry place
7. Remember to turn hearing aid off when not in use
8. If hearing aid squeals, then check ear mold to ensure it fits properly
9. Open battery case before placing in dry&store or rice bag
10. Ear Mold should be cleaned periodically to ensure no wax blocks sound from entering ear mold.
11. A young child needs new molds as they grow, and molds need replacement when they get old or torn.
12. Tubing (the part attached to mold) needs replacement when hardened or dirty.
13. Replace batteries as soon as they are needed, maybe every week
14. Check ears regularly
1. Water and soap can get in ears as a natural cleaning agent
2. If build up of wax occurs, use natural baby oil or mineral oil, squeeze just a few drops in outer ear canal to soften wax, flush with clean water
15. Keep hearing aid clean… tubes and ear mold should be cleaned as well
1. Blow any moisture bubbles out of tubing
16. Keep ear mold clean… Remove ear mold from hearing aid; use soap and water to clean ear mold
17. If you use talc or hair spray, apply it before putting on the hearing aid
18. Keep hearing aids away from pets
19. Supervise young children with hearing aids to ensure they do not put them in their mouth
20. Remember to talk to your children every day using natural oral language
21. Speak with parents and teachers to trouble shoot problems or issues
22. If hearing aid is not working properly, do the following steps:
1. change batteries
2. do Ling six-sound test to see if child detects these sounds
3. give to school to place in dry & store
4. check to see if aid in under warranty
5. ensure gain is set appropriately
6. return to school or vendor if broken for repair