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Assisting someone with an open fit hearing aid

This step-by-step guide shows how to safely help someone insert and remove a hearing aid with an open fit dome. Whether you’re a caregiver, family member or healthcare worker, this video will help you assist with confidence.

If you use a standard mould hearing aid, take a look at this video

 

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Open-fit hearing aids 

Here are some names of important parts of an open fit hearing aid

Check that your hearing aid is working

Close the battery door

This turns the aid on

Cup between your hands

This creates a feedback loop

Wait for 5 to 10 seconds

Sometimes it takes a bit longer than others

Listen for a noise

It may sound like a whistle or a buzz

Putting the hearing aid in for someone else

01
Always begin by communicating and asking for consent, even if the person is non-verbal. This helps reduce distress and ensures understanding
02
Open the battery door on the hearing aid
03
Stand beside the person so you can clearly see what you're doing
04
Place the hearing aid over their ear
05
Gently insert the tip into the ear canal - you can't push it in too far
06
Tuck the retention lock into the curve of the ear to keep the tip secure
07
Ensure the tube lies flat against the face, with no part of the retainer sticking out
08
Close the battery door to switch the hearing aid on
09
Return to the person’s eyeline and speak to them to check the hearing aid is working

Taking it out

01
Always begin by communicating and asking for consent, even if the person is post-verbal. This helps reduce distress and supports understanding
02
Stand beside the person so you can clearly see what you're doing
03
Open the battery door first to prevent any loud feedback noises
04
Remove the hearing aid from behind the ear
05
Holding the tube and the hearing aid, gently pull away at a flat angle to ensure the tube comes away easily and the dome doesn’t get caught in the ear

Important note: Wipe the dome with a cloth each night, then store the hearing aid in a clearly labelled box kept in a consistent place

Meet our experts

Andrew Goodwin

Engage Service Manager

Andrew has been a deaf awareness trainer for over 25 years and has over 50 years’ first-hand experience living with hearing loss. Working in the charity sector since 2003, Andrew has trained and supported hundreds of volunteers and given medical and psychological support to thousands of people with all types of hearing loss.

For 4 years, he worked at Deafness Research UK, increasing the awareness of hearing loss by delivering hearing screening and supporting the Bionic Ear Show with over 150,000 audience members across the UK. In 2016, he was instrumental in the set up of Engage (formerly Hearing Matters in Care project), developing the training package, polices and reaching out to care homes as well as running hearing aid maintenance clinics across North London.

Connect with Andrew on Linkedin

Padraic Garrett

Head of Engage

Padraic, with over 25 years of experience in the care industry, has held senior leadership positions in both care homes and day centres. This dual perspective gives him a unique understanding of the challenges faced by both frontline staff and senior management.

Padraic holds a master’s degree in person-centred dementia care and is a qualified Executive Coach and Mentor (ILM Level 7). He has an ILM post-graduate certificate in Leadership and Management. He joined Engage in 2021, having worked closely with the company as a customer from its earliest days.

Connect with Padraic on LinkedIn

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The resources available are not, and are not intended to be, medical advice, which should be tailored to your individual circumstances.  The resources are for your information only, and we advise that you exercise your own judgment before deciding to use the information provided. Professional medical advice should be obtained before taking action. Full terms and conditions.