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SSHL - Advice for a newbie - Roger mics or similar for work

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Lost a chunk of my hearing in my left ear suddenly about 5 weeks ago. I’m now having difficulty making out any speech if there is any background noise.

As a project manager I spend a lot of my time talking with people, my development teams, my peers and my clients. This is fine via MS Teams but face to face is virtually impossible at the moment as unless someone is next to me on my right side, I cannot really make out what they are saying.

I’m assuming that this will get slightly better with practice but at the moment I’m trying out some Phonak Audéo Lumity L90s. These seem to help a bit in quiet situations but noise in the open plan office and on site with the client, is still a challenge.

Looking around, people mention the Roger devices from Phonak, those of you using them, do they work? Would you recommend them or can you suggest something better.

If they work, I could (possibly) look to get something under the government Access to Work grant scheme, if they are worth it.

What would you recommend?

  • Talking 1-2-1 but in noisy open plan office
  • Meeungs of about 8 people
  • Client site visits
5 people in this conversation7 min readJump to latest

For 1-2-1 a Phonak PartnerMic might do the trick (notably cheaper than Roger devices)
For meetings up to 8 people a Roger On iN might do it, but 2 Roger Table Microphones linked together might be better. Not sure what the needs of Client Site Visits.
You also might want to see if the new Phonak Audeo Spheres are available. If speech in noise is the issue, I’d want those instead of the Lumitys.

Edited

Thank you Mark.

My right ear is mostly fine, but my left ear looks just like your right .

I’ll have a look at the 1-2-1 partner mic.

On site with clients is a mix of meetings in offices with groups of people (around a table and working at whiteboards) and then into large workshop/garage spaces (testing with electric vehicles). Not huge amounts of noise, just working in a large echoing spaces (like large agricultural spaces, with hard metal and concrete walls and concrete floors).

In the UK we have an Access to Work grant scheme, so I can apply to that for assistive devices (hearing aids are different, they are NHS provided unless you need something special).

I second the recommendation of a mic. I love my Roger on. But I recognize not everyone will see a sufficient cost/benefit ratio to buy it. I also recommend asking about the spheres. I will have to wait until Nov but I can hardly wait.

We don’t have your , but is your bad side hearing bad enough that cros was discussed?

WH

Will try to add an (I’ve just go photographs of printouts).

The audiologist I spoke to in Summertown suggested either a single Starkey Genesis on my left ear or system routing round to my right. I’ve not seen anyone talk favourably about CROS (but the NHS audiologist who called last week suggested it as an option). All the online comments I’ve seen suggest that it make cause hearing to deteriorate in the un-amplifyed ear.

If cost is not an issue, you might want to consider the combination of a Roger On and Table Mic II. This combination works well in meetings where there is a presenter at the white board who can wear the Roger On while still being able to hear the other participants around the conference table.

Thank you Ray.

For workshops, it is normally me doing the presenting, I just need to hear discussion and then if we do more interactive sessions, I’ll have people working at whiteboards around the room and presenting back.

I don’t know how successful the Access to Work application will be, and at this stage I don’t have to specify amounts, just the sort of help I’m looking for.

They do, however, say they will review the application within 24 weeks, so no rush.

https://www.summertownaudiology.co.uk/2

Carol was the audiologist I met with.

Sam was the one someone in our village had worked with previously and she recommended the clinic.

Any Summertown bus from the centre will go there.

The clinic is in a building set back from the road, on the right hand side about 2-300 yards up from where the shops end (if you are coming from town).

In reply to @AlexE

@AlexE said:

I’ve not seen anyone talk favourably about CROS

Biggest complaint I’ve heard here is rechargeable battery runtime. The batteries run out part way through the day. I’d look for disposable.

WH

It is not great, the standard waiting list for NHS hearing aids in this area is 18 months (but then they are “free”), I’ve had an urgent referral (6 months) but after the audiologist called me, about 9 weeks from first symptoms (the day I lost my hearing) to first hearing aid fitting in about 3 weeks. As well as the GP visits (first a paramedic, then GP, then GP follow up online) three GPRU and hospital audiology testing visits and an on Wednesday, I feel they have moved pretty rapidly, I feel cared for and it has not cost me anything (other than some £2 bus fares into Oxford).

Alongside this, as I need to work, to move more quickly I’ve been to Boots (a high street chain) where I got the Lumity aids on trial and to an audiologist in Summertown (northern Oxford) who was recommended by a friend in the village.

I’ll see what the NHS offer in terms of aids, but there are also the Phonak Sphere privately but the first place nearby that will offer them are saying £3,400 a pair which is a hell of a lot of money for me. So may not be possible regardless of how much better they are.

Access to work is a separate government disability scheme, to enable people to work around mental and physical disabilities. The aim is to get you or keep you in work. This is a grant scheme (I’m only just learning about all of this) but the initial review is within 24 weeks. The NHS audiologist pointed me at the scheme.

I don’t know if I will get any help with things for work like Roger mics or a (and I don’t know much about these, so I’ve asked a few questions here).

Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition

Get help at work, including an Access to Work grant, if you have a disability or health condition - eligibility, how to apply.

In the UK you can also go to high street providers and the NHS will pay, but generally they are only contracted for over 55’s and I’ve got a few years yet before I’m eligible. The NHS audiologist said mine was classed as a complex case, so would also likely be out of the scope of their contracts.

We will see.

Well, I wish you the best. I’m glad you feel cared-for vat this point. Let us know if there’s any way we can help. (Besides forking over money for new spheres?)

WH

Hello @AlexE, as far as I am aware, although I haven’t used “Access To Work” for approximately 16 years? It was my understanding, they expect your employer to jointly fund with ATW, for any environmental equipment you might need, back then, ATW covered the purchase 100%, but I believe that’s now changed? Boots Hearing Care, will allow you to pay up your new hearing aids over 2 years, it used to be interest free, but alas no longer, after the big inflation jump over the last couple of years… 30 odd years ago, I was afflicted with (Viral Flu) a massive learning curve, pre-internet days, closely followed by Meniers Disease, and approximately 8 years of living hell… You have a wonderful resource on this forum, and plenty of folks to help alleviate some of the stress associated with, Sudden Sensory Neural Hearing Loss, you have my sympathy and empathy, in equal measure… Remember please, when the going gets rough, just post up, a problem shared is a problem halved…I suffered with distortion right through my MD years, I am fine nowadays :smile: Lastly, if you are going to go with the Roger System ’s (Assistive Listening Devices) I would consider strongly, going with Phonak, it makes life simpler, these Roger ALD’s also require Roger X receivers, they are expensive, so a Roger On iN, Select iN, or Table Mic 2 iN would be the weapons of choice, the “iN”is the operative word, this tells you, they have built “iN” Roger X Receivers, that you easily transfer these licenses to your Phonak aids… I am most fortunate, I have all of the above Roger ALD’s, and much more besides, I buy my Roger ALD’s predominantly from eBay, all second hand, but needs must… Good Luck Alex, Cheers Kev :wink:

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