About Hearing Loss

Early diagnosis of a hearing loss can ensure that remediation steps can be taken in a timely manner. The fitting of hearing aids before a hearing loss becomes severe can prevent communicative avoidance and social isolation. To find out whether you may have a hearing loss, answer the following short list of questions:

• Are you having difficulty hearing in group situations, for example around the dinner table or at a cocktail party?
• Do you need to listen more closely if there is background noise such as an air conditioner or television?
• Do you find that people tend to mumble or do not enunciate their words clearly?
• Do other people’s speech seem to run together as if there were no pauses between the words?
• Do you find children or high-pitched voices more difficult to follow than lower-pitched voices?
• Do you prefer to watch television at a louder volume than other people in the room?
• Are you experiencing difficulty hearing a speaker who is some distance from you, for example at a meeting or in church?
• Are you sensitive to loud sounds?
• Do you hear a ringing or buzzing in your ears?
• Does your spouse claim you have a hearing loss?

Next Steps

If you suspect that you or someone that you care about has a hearing loss, come and see our professional audiologists for a full audiological assessment (it’s more than just a hearing test).

Third Party Coverage

Hearing aids are generally purchased privately in British Columbia with the exception of:

• Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
• Workers’ Compensation Board of BC (WCB)
• Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) provided by the Department of Indian Affairs
• Ministry of Human Resources (Social Services)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
• Department of Defense (DND)

If you wish to enquire about your eligibility to make a claim with any of these organizations, please contact our clinic. Many Extended Health Plans also have some provision for hearing aids. Check with your plan directly to find out. All hearing aid purchases, and any costs incurred in their maintenance may be claimed as a medical expensive against your Income Tax. Check with your accountant for details specific to your situation.

Prices for hearing aids vary between clinics. For those who will be purchasing hearing aids privately, the British Columbia Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists provides some useful fee guidelines.

Please check www.bcaslpa.ca.