Earmold styles: Full-shell earmold (commonly used for children because they are very active and need stability), used for dexterity limitations because it is larger and easier to manage.

Larger battery sizes used in BTEs may be easier to handle than smaller styles for those with limited manual dexterity or vision deficits

BTEs permit easy access to volume and program control buttons, making them an excellent choice for infants, children, and adults with dexterity issues.

CIC – might not have the manual dexterity to manipulate Completely in the Canal hearing aids, so they should not purchased based on cosmetics.

ALD – Hearing aid is a general-purpose device, while ALDs serve a variety of special listening needs (telephone listening, TV, or listening in arge meeting rooms). Some are used instead of conventional hearing aids, while others are used in conjunction. Preferred by younger adults with specific needs. May also be the choice of very old adults whose co-occuring cognitive, vision, or dexterity problems increase the difficulty of using conventional hearing aids.

A patient’s dexterity issues may impact their choice of hearing aid, or if they choose to rely on assistive listening devices instead. Older adults who have dexterity limitations may choose to have Behind The Ear hearing aids with full-shell earmolds because they have larger batteries and permit easier access to volume and program control buttons. They may not choose Completely In the Canal hearing aids because they are smaller and may be more difficult to manipulate, or they may choose to forego hearing aids completely and instead used ALDs if they have co-occuring cognitive or vision problems that make using conventional hearing aids difficult.

Describe some of the social and emotional consequences of various degrees of hearing loss across the lifespan. Explain why this might occur.

Hearing loss of any degree can have a large impact on a person’s emotions and their social life. Emotionally they may focus on their loss and feel depressed or angry, or they may be anxious about their hearing loss affection all areas of their lives negatively. Socially, they may feel a loss of intimacy with their loved ones, and as they lose the ability to “chat” as easily or have spontaneity in conversations they may withdraw from their family and friends. If they feel like they are being dependent on their spouse or family members their self-esteem may be affected, and they may lash out. Much of this relates to a perceived loss of control in their life or sense of “self.”