Hearing Aids

Hearing Aid Consultation:

Following the hearing assessment, we will review your results, discuss current hearing technology, and provide recommendations to help you achieve your communication goals. You may take that information home to think it over or decide at the appointment if you want to initiate a trial period with hearing aids. The trial period is a 60-day extendable period during which we will check in with follow-up appointments and take care of any concerns that arise during your adaptation period. If needed, we will also take earmold impressions of your ears at this appointment.

Hearing Aid Evaluation – Real Ear Measurements (REM):

Once you have decided to proceed with new hearing aids, we will order them and book you an appointment to return to the clinic for fitting.
At the hearing aid evaluation appointment, we will check for comfort, fit, and retention in the ear(s). We will test and verify that the hearing aids are adjusted properly to maximize your hearing potential. This procedure is called Real Ear Measurement (REM) and is a crucial step in ensuring that your new hearing aids are appropriately customized and programmed for your specific hearing loss and your individual ears.
Following the measurements and programming we will teach you how to insert the hearing aids, how to use them, and how to maintain them.
We provide counselling to help you gradually adapt to your new hearing aids, and to maximize benefit while maintaining realistic expectations.

Hearing Aid Optimization or Re-Evaluations:

Hearing sensitivity can change over time. The hearing aids may need to be re-tuned to accommodate hearing changes. This is covered under the three-year warranty and includes Real Ear Measurement verification, re-programming of the hearing aids, cleaning, and repair if needed. This type of appointment is also for individuals who acquired hearing aids elsewhere but want a second opinion on their current set of hearing aids.

Hearing Aid Check-Up:

Follow-up appointments during trial periods are necessary following a new hearing aid evaluation to ensure proper use, care, and future success! We follow up more closely during the trial period timeline to ensure satisfaction.

Hearing Aid Maintenance Check-Up:

Depending on your progress and personal experience, we will schedule reminders during the year to come back for maintenance and follow-up. Hearing aids, hearing loss (and people!) change over time, so please come back to see us! We are here to help!

How Hearing Loss Affects Everyone

Hearing loss can be difficult to understand for our family and friends

Hearing loss can be difficult to understand for our family and friends who have normal hearing. We encourage you to bring your partner, family member, or friend to appointments to be an extra set of ears and support. Due to pandemic concerns, please limit to one companion per visit. Thank you for understanding
What do I do if my ear hurts?

Please contact your family doctor if your ear(s) hurt. There should be no pain in your ears so this could be a sign of a medical issue and should be addressed immediately.

Hearing Aid Success and Expectations

Many factors are involved in success with hearing aids.

Your hearing loss

How well you hear with your hearing aids depends in part on the degree and configuration of your hearing loss. A person with a mild hearing loss will usually perform better with hearing aids than a person with a severe to profound hearing loss.

• The ability to hear words clearly, especially in noise, is quite variable between individuals.
Your dexterity, vision, and memory

• Will determine what type of hearing aids we recommend as there are different levels of maintenance requirements

• We always promote independence in the care and maintenance of hearing aids, but we will include a family member or caregiver to help with the process when necessary.
Your expectations

• Will shape your hearing journey. We will strive to communicate realistic expectations: what is possible, what is not possible, what we can offer and how we will do it.

• Can be shaped by other people’s positive or negative experiences. Try to remember that we are all unique and our experiences are unique.

• Getting a new device is only part of your hearing journey; we will guide you through ways to improve your overall communication abilities.
Personal motivation

• The desire to hear better and solve your communication challenges.

• Acceptance of your hearing loss and of the help you need to hear better.

• The willingness to share and advocate with others about your hearing loss.

• The understanding that getting new hearing devices is part of a process and that the adaptation process can take time.

Our full service package:
Premium Hearing Health Care ready for you!

We provide comprehensive, premium hearing health care delivery for the three-year warranty (repair and loss and damage inclusive) of your hearing aid(s). This service package is included when you purchase a new set of hearing aid(s) with us.

Hearing aid verifications and evaluations
Trial period hearing aid checks
Hearing aid maintenance checks
Ear wax removals as needed for proper hearing care
Remote/virtual appointments included if needed
Earmold impressions as needed
Earmold modifications as needed
Cleaning of hearing aids and custom earmolds throughout the life of your hearing aid(s)
Small equipment parts replacements as needed
Video Otoscopy: to check for earwax and ear health
Re-evaluation of hearing aids if hearing changes over time
All major or minor repairs, both in-house or back to the manufacturer
Loaner hearing aids when your own hearing aid is sent for repair

We welcome new clients who have their own hearing aids from a different clinic and would like to transfer services to Elevate Hearing. Contact us to discuss the options.

Hearing Aid FAQs

What are the benefits of getting hearing aids?

There are many internal and external benefits to improving your hearing capacity, including the reduction of listening effort and social isolation. Hearing aids often help improve other areas of life such as personal relationships, workplace productivity, and academic studies. There is also extensive research on the correlation between hearing loss and cognitive decline. According to leading researchers on memory and cognition at John Hopkins University, the treatment of hearing loss is now considered the single most modifiable risk factor for preventing cognitive decline. The ability to hear is an essential human function that elevates all our worldly and personal experiences! We are here to help!
Why is the hearing aid process so complicated?

• Maximize and Optimize! The ultimate goal of our hearing aid services is to maximize your hearing abilities/competence and to optimize the hearing aid performance. We want to elevate your hearing abilities and expectations. However, because each person’s hearing loss and communication challenges are unique, maximum and optimal benefit look different for each person. We work with each client to customize their hearing aid solution to their individual needs.

• It takes time and expertise for the audiologist to adjust and fine-tune a hearing aid and most people require additional appointments to fine-tune the hearing aids after they have used it in regular life. We also spend time talking about realistic expectations, how to adapt to new hearing aids, and how to use and care for the hearing aids.

• Hearing aids have tiny, sophisticated electronic components that are controlled by a miniaturized computer. These small devices are situated in the ear canal which is humid, potentially also with dead skin and ear wax, which are problematic for electronic devices. Regular, expert maintenance is required to ensure your hearing aids continue to work optimally.

• Proceeding with hearing aid is just the first step towards better communication. We at Elevate Hearing will support you throughout your hearing loss journey, provide education on better ways to communicate and also direct you to useful resources to help you improve your own
Will I hear normally after I get hearing aids?

• Hearing aids are indeed “aids”, and not a cure. They can be extremely helpful and life-changing for many people, but they cannot restore your hearing to be equal to someone with normal hearing.

• How well you hear with your hearing aids depends in part on the degree of damage in your ears. A person with a mild hearing loss will usually perform better with hearing aids than a person with a severe to profound hearing loss.

• When hearing aids are not enough, we have other solutions that can be part of a treatment plan, including assistive listening devices (e.g., Roger system), and aural rehabilitation techniques. Our audiologists can discuss the options with you.
Why do hearing aids cost so much?

• Hearing aids are sophisticated marvels of technology that incorporate powerful, miniaturized computers, as well as components of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The development of this technology takes extensive research and development.

• Fitting hearing aids requires a trained professional to select, prescribe, evaluate and adjust the hearing aids. Each hearing aid must be customized to each person’s hearing and needs.

• When you choose to proceed with hearing aids, you are purchasing not only the hearing aids themselves, but a service and follow-up package to ensure your hearing aids are properly adjusted and maintained. The cost of the hearing aids includes a service and follow-up component, which is bundled together with the cost of the devices. In essence, you are paying up-front for all the appointments needed to adjust and maintain your hearing aids over the 3-year warranty period.
Is there coverage for the cost of hearing aids?

In British Columbia, there is no coverage for hearing aids through MSP. Funding is available for people covered by third-party funders, such as WorkSafeBC, Veterans Affairs Canada, and First Nations Health. People who need hearing aids in order to work may be eligible for WorkBC Assistive Technology Services funding, depending on their income level. Some people who are on BC’s permanent disability program may have coverage – we can help you verify eligibility if that applies to you.
What about online hearing aids?

On-line sales of hearing aids is prohibited by the College of Speech and Hearing Professional of BC because there can be significant risks of harm with an improperly fit hearing aid. These hearing aids are often “gray-market”, older technology with minimal or no warranty. We recommend against purchasing cheaper hearing aids that do not include follow-up services from an Audiologist who can ensure that your hearing aids are fit safely, appropriately, and provide measurable benefit.
Why do hearing aids squeal?

Hearing aid squealing is known as feedback and can occur for a variety of reasons. We work very hard to make sure that you do not experience feedback. If there is feedback, it could be due to buildup of earwax in the ear, a cracked or damaged hearing aid/mold, or an incompletely inserted hearing aid. We are here to help if you experience feedback issues – this is part of our follow-up service.

If you have any problems, please call for an appointment at 604-707-7145.
Are there invisible hearing aids?

• Miniaturization of electronic and computer components has made so-called Invisible-In-the-Canal (IIC) hearing aids possible. That said, hearing aids must be large enough to include all the components necessary to make them function, therefore how small a hearing aid can be made is a function of the size of the ear canal it needs to fit in. If you have larger ear canal it is more likely that a nearly invisible hearing aid can be made for you, versus someone with very small ear canals.

• Another innovative option for people who want hearing that is invisible is the Phonak Lyric, an extended wear device. This device stays in the ear full-time and is replaced every two to three months. Please visit the Hearing Aids section of our website for more information on the Phonak Lyric.
Do I need one or two hearing aids?

• A proper recommendation of one vs two hearing aids requires a complete hearing assessment of your hearing sensitivity and hearing health.

• Hearing from both ears is required to maximize benefit. For example: localizing the source of sounds in space as well as hearing in noisy, challenging environments is much easier with two ears.

• Most people who have hearing loss have it in both ears, or bilaterally. For bilateral hearing loss, two hearing aids are recommended to maximize benefit.

• Some people have hearing loss in one ear, requiring one hearing aid only. Each person’s situation is different, and we will discuss all your options so that you can make an informed decision. All hearing aids come with a 60-day trial period to give you time to evaluate benefit.

• For more information, please visit the Hearing Aids section to read about hearing aid expectations and successes.

Roger Digital Microphone (DM) system

Roger DM systems are an effective solution to partner with your hearing aid to enhance your ability to hear in noisy situations, hear from a distance (beyond 6 feet/2 metres), or hear in a room with poor acoustics.

Roger DM systems are very helpful and beneficial for people:

with one functioning ear
with poor Signal to noise ratio (SNR) loss (poor ability to hear in noise)
attending a post-secondary education
who attend a lot of boardroom-like meetings
who are constantly in challenging listening situations
who want the best technology available to maximize their hearing in social and/or work situations

There are different options depending on your needs – see the Phonak website for more detailed information: https://www.phonak.com/com/en/hearing-aids/accessories/roger.html

We offer a significant discount to clients who purchased their hearing aids at Elevate Hearing and are later interested in adding a Roger system. There is a 60-day trial period with these devices.

Lyric

Elevate Hearing is a Certified Lyric Provider. Phonak Lyric is a truly invisible hearing loss solution. It is an extended-wear device that is inserted near the eardrum and stays in the ear canal for up to two months before being removed and replaced.

Lyric can be a good option for very active people with busy schedules, actors and models, caregivers who need to hear at nighttime, or sometimes people who may not be able to handle conventional hearing aids due to memory or dexterity issues.
However, not everyone is a candidate for Lyric. Candidacy criteria include the shape and size of the ear canal, amount of earwax production, degree and configuration of hearing loss, and some health conditions. A thorough examination of your ears, and review of the candidacy criteria is required to determine suitability for Lyric.
An annual subscription is required.
Please contact our clinic if you would like an assessment.

More information here: https://www.phonak.com/ca/en/hearing-aids/lyric-invisible-hearing-aids.html

Hearing Aid Manufacturers

At Elevate Hearing we are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date and innovative technology available. We may be a new clinic, but we are far from new in the hearing aid industry and have worked with all of the largest international hearing aid manufacturers for a over 40 years. We are an independent clinic – not owned by a hearing aid manufacturer – which allows us to be client-centred and select the hearing devices with the most appropriate and beneficial features for you. Rest assured that you will have time to decide if the recommended hearing solution is right for you, during the 60-day trial period.

To meet our clients’ hearing needs, we select and recommend from the following manufacturers: