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Hospital appointment noise

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Edited

Yesterday, I had an appointment at Moorfields Eye Hospital (London) Waiting to be called, the ambience was so bad in the waiting area, that I couldn’t hear anything and just about managed to hear my name being called. I tried doing various adjustments on the Phonak app but nothing really worked. Even when I was in a small quiet room, I could hardly hear the nurse, so much so, that she asked if I had hearing aids.
Has anyone had a similar experience and if so, how did you manage this?

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You need to explain this to your audiologist. Also I am going to say this your would help us help you also are you wearing domes or custom ear molds. It sure sounds like domes.

I really sympathize with you, hard to believe that a hospital would have issues with hearing equipment, especially hearing aids. This has never happened to me, but it did in a local cafe, I went in there for a coffee with my daughter, she was sat facing me, and I still couldn’t catch all she was saying, awful experience!. I’m hoping you did, or will, complain. Take care.

Edited

In reply to @cvkemp

Thanks cvkemp. I have an appointment this afternoon with the audiologist and will ask for the audio gram to be sent to me. I am wearing domes. I am also wondering if Phonak Spheres has anything to do with this problem.

Best

In reply to @Muffulwat

Thanks Muffulwat. I don’t think that Moorfields is particularly helpful in this respect. Horrible experience and you’re right, I should take this up. I’m sorry that you had a similar experience - were you able to make any adjustments?

Hi Judi-L, I didn’t ask for adjustments, it was a cafe, fair size but unlikely to be able or willing to help. Try and keep us updated with your situation, if you can please.

Hospitals can be problematic! I always set my on ‘forward-facing’ pickup for the mics, ie, “Hear in Noise” (when you want to emphasize the voice in front of you, as in any ‘clerk’-type situation). In a small exam room, with a doctor, I always tell the staff person/doctor that I’m hard of hearing. My doctor sits behind his computer screen and is out of sight to me!! I always have to remind him that I need to be able to see him in order to communicate. He’s also a VERY fast talker (but a nice guy). I always have to ask him to slow down, which is hard for him to do! It’s not easy, but one has to speak up about it, sometimes repeatedly. I hate to do this, but it’s the only way!

I had the same trouble with extremely busy, noisy environments. The audiologist put in a program that makes everything sound, for lack of a better word, “crisp”. Voices sound artificial in a tin-canny kind of way, but at least I can hear and understand. I call it the “Kill Setting”.

Today I absolutely could not understand the very high pitched medical person in a hard surface room with much ambient noise. I pushed the button on the hearing aid to switch to “Kill” and I could understand her very well.

Maybe you ask to have such a program on your devices.
Paul

In reply to @Muffulwat

Thanks cvkemp. I have an appointment this afternoon with the audiologist and will ask for the audio gram to be sent to me. I am wearing domes. I am also wondering if Phonak Spheres has anything to do with this problem.

Best

That is quite a normal experience in whatever hospital I have been to in my almost 50 years as deaf hearing aid wearer.

The only “guaranteed” solution is to bring a normal hearing person with you as a second pair of ears.

First came across the issue in London’s St Mary Abbotts hospital after I lost my hearing in 1976. Sitting in a room full of patients of the hearing clinic and not hearing anything. My tactic was to see if anyone responded to a name being called. If not, then I would get up and hoped it was mine. :grin:

It sounds to me like an experience similar to what I had with the phonak infineo sphere I90 s. I use the target application to reset them to factory then did the hearing test in the application and resaved them. It made a world a difference they seem to be working pretty well now I haven’t gone on to do any more tweaks since. If you’re working with an audiologist you would probably best served you discuss that with them

Judi,

I don’t think this only happens in hospitals. I have the same issue at railway stations (so difficult if they broadcast train cancellations or updates and you simply cannot understand), airports etc. If anything, I find the problem less with Phonak Sphere. Ultimately, I believe the solution will be the introduction of in the UK; this will allow public announcements to go directly into thus significantly improving comprehension. Until then, I personally find that the only thing to do in hospitals etc is to tell a receptionist and hope for an empathetic response (explaining that shouting does NOT help!).

Of course, there may be improvements that can be made by your audiologist as others suggest; but sadly, even with Spheric we have a sub-optimal experience in public spaces currently.

Good luck.

In reply to @mystuart

Thanks mystuart and yes agree about speaking up, sometimes repeatedly. I don’t have a problem when I am facing the doctor etc, as the room is usually quiet, and I can always turn up the volume. The problem for me is in the wide waiting spaces, it feels like something is suddenly turned down in Phonak spheres, making everything sound soft/muffled. It is something like a fog suddenly coming down. This happens in many places. But hospital waiting areas are important and it’s constantly being on edge waiting for my name to be called.

In reply to @Dutch

Hi Dutch. I don’t know why hospitals can’t put in large screens with your name and room number coming up. My GP practice has this and it is very useful.

As you say, the only ‘guaranteed’ solution is having someone come with me to hospital appointments, but I really would prefer not to rely on this. I like your tactic ie if a name is called, waiting to see if anyone responds and if not, assuming that it is your name? But what if you can’t hear the name?

Yes, indeed, Judi! In waiting room I turn volume way up and sometimes set it on Outdoor. That usually works. And as said, above, figure if no one else moves, they must be calling me!

In reply to @Judi_L

At the time I could not hear anything at all. So, I went by a nurse appearing and looking at her mouth to see if she was saying something. Not being a lip reader I had no idea what. :grin:

I have only ever seen screens and names in Chelmsford hospital and my last English doctors’ waiting room in Market Harborough and clearly that HASto be the solution.

In reply to @mystuart

Thanks mystuart. I haven’t heard of an Outdoor programme - does this reduce any background noise? Having said that, I can’t say that there was much background noise so interested in how Outdoor can help? And yes, if no-one moves, then they are probably calling me. Will try turning up the volume next time.

In reply to @Dutch

Thanks for this. When I was waiting to have some tests done in A&E at Barnet Hospital, which was crowded, I really couldn’t hear any names being called. However, just be chance, I was wearing a bright red scarf and someone noticed this and directed any doctor/nurse to me. No screens there. Absolutely agree, this has to be the solution, but the cynic in me tells me that it would cost too much money. Given the state of our NHS, I can’t see this ever happening

In reply to @BobbyL

Thanks BobbyL, this is very interesting. I also have Phonak infineo sphere 190s. Can you explain please what is the target application and how to reset them to factory? I’m not particularly tecchie and this is new to me. It’s great that you have found a way to do this and yes, I am working with an audiologist.

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