Not much information on this one yet, but here's the article on the company that is making them.  Looks like they will run around $800/pair.  And, the head guy has a 30% hearing loss.  So, maybe this means that we may have someone that actually knows 'Hearing Loss World'.

Here's the link:  www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-19/able-planet-plans-hearing-aid-alternative-for-aging-population.html

If I see any more info., I'll pass it on.  Have a great week!

For those wanting to learn more about Medicare in American Sign Language, a group down in Illinois has recently addressed this language issue via the Federal website for you.  Here's the link:  

www.sj-r.com/breaking/x713189498/Illinois-advocates-produce-Medicare-video-for-deaf 

There is also Closed Captioning on the Video. 

Have a great week!

Found this in the local paper here in Cape Canaveral, FL.  It was ironic to our family in that we had the same thing happen shortly after my husbands' father passed away Aug. 26th.  Really makes you wonder about things.  Here's the link:    www.myhometownnews.net/index.php 

Have a great week!

Ran across this today via a Georgia newspaper.  Originally, I was trying to find out the numbers of Vets that have hearing loss since we will/are seeing so many returning servicemen and women that are now having problems with hearing loss and tinnitus.  While I was unable to find the specific info. that I was looking for, I did find this interactive link on the numbers of disabled vets from World War II to the early 2000's (Iraq/Afghanistan) wars.

Here's the link:   www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/12/03/1850864/search-va-disability-database.html

A couple of years ago, I posted a column with the actual minutes from the V.A. meeting back in 2009 that listed the prices they would be paying via 9 different hearing aid manufacturers (over 200 models) for Veterans diagnosed with hearing loss that was a direct result of their military service.  Unfortunately, that link has now been taken down by the V.A.  The contract is supposed to be in effect through at least 2012 and the average cost of a digital behind the ear hearing aid for the V.A. was going to be $350.  It would come out to the V.A. being able to obtain, fit and test Veterans for approx. 67% less than non-military people pay for the same product.  While I get really irritated with how much the mark up is for HA's, I am also quite happy for the Veterans in that they will now be able to obtain quality HA's.  The V.A. still has some work to do on how they fit and follow up with these Vets on their hearing aids.  And, they are still working out some glitches at some centers as far as getting the HA's programmed correctly.  My recently deceased father-in-law had many battles with his Center down in Illinois over the past 10 years or so on the programming. 

So, if you are curious as to what the numbers are looking like for our Returning Veterans, take a few minutes to check out your state or even your zip code area to see how many Military Heroes we really have and the sacrifices that they continue to make everyday for their service to our Country.

Have a great week!

USA Today posted an article today on this topic.  Here's the link:   

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-11-22/schools-face-shortage-of-interpreters-for-deaf-students/51357730/1 

Here in Wisconsin, we do have the new rules/guidelines/laws that require our Intrepreters to get a certain score on the tests.  Here's the link for more information:  

http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/sensory/interpreting/InterpretingFP.htm

It was done a few years ago to address the lack of competent Intrepreters in our schools.  Unfortunately, it has also caused our State to now have a lack of 'qualified' Intrepreters.  With the advent of advanced technology, there are possibilities now that can make up for the lack of Intrepreters in the classroom.  Until all of the entities involved, learn to work together and embrace the 'new', we will continue to have the situation of some students not being able to be a part of the class and thus, not being able to get as much as possible out of the educational opportunity. 

Sometimes, you need to step back and see the whole picture instead of following the lead of those that think they know best.  There are too many organizations and entities with their hands in the cookie jar to the point where the main objective is lost.  And yes, there are lobbying groups that make sure their interests are taken care in the legislation process.  

Stop looking at this segment of the population as just a number and see the possibilities.   Believe it or not, there are a lot of us in this category that really do 'Have a Brain'.

Have a great week!

I originally posted this article in 2008.  Now, that we are once again coming up on the Holiday Season, I thought it would be a good time to once again go over a few things to make it more enjoyable for all.

Here's the link:  http://myeldercareblog.com/hear_more_aids/66/hears-to-life-hearing-loss-and-the-holidays-for-seniors-in-wisconsin/

Have a great week!

For those of you following this story, here's the latest via the Wisconsin Rapids newspaper.  Link:  http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011111150521

With the Penn State case being National News, thought it would be interesting to see how something with some of the same scenarios is being handled by a Wisconsin school, the WIAA, ect.

If you care to read the criminal complaint, here's the link:  (Warning - Contains Graphic Content)  http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/k-12/wrestlers-busted-locker-room-sex-harassment-231957 

Here's a little more info. on each of the boys that were charged.  http://www.examiner.com/college-wrestling-in-national/four-wis-hs-matmen-plead-not-guilty-of-sexual-harassment-of-teammate?fb_comment=35170771

These charges were filed in the Spring of 2011, yet the Court dates have been delayed to March 2012.  Interesting to see that all 4 of the players allegedly involved are also on the Football team and one is the son of the Wrestling team coach.  The alleged victim is deaf and requires an interpreter. 

Maybe they are just going along with the same opinion as Jerry Sandusky.  It's just 'horseplay'.   We all know that things like this have been going on for decades.  While we will never be able to stop all of it, we need to at least be aware of the possibility of it happening in our world.  Our kids depend on us to make sure that they are safe.  Listen to your kids!  When it takes (according to studies done) a child telling at least 7 adults before these things are looked into, many victims will give up and continue to carry the secret, shame and guilt their entire lives.  Add in the fact that most of these scenarios are initiated by someone the child knows, loves or trusts and it's no wonder so many of the survivors end up carrying this with them their entire life. 

Make a difference, pay attention and talk to your kids.  Let them know that it's ok to come to you with any problem or question that they may have.  You never know, you may be that 7th adult that they try and get some support and guidance from.

Have a great week!

For those of you that have not seen the many announcements on this, here you go.  This will be a longer 'test' than we normally see.  There is also a link below for an ASL version.

On Tue, Nov 8, 2011 at 9:37 AM, DHH, Webmaster <DHH.Webmaster@illinois.gov> wrote:
 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working in partnership with other agencies to conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).  The EAS test plays a key role in ensuring the nation is prepared for any type of emergency that could arise, and that the U.S. public can receive critical and vital information.  Please note the SIGNED video provided below.

WHAT:   Nationwide test of Emergency Alert System

WHEN:   Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. Central time in Illinois)

WHERE:  It will be broadcasted on radio, television stations and other service systems.  Will not involve phone services.

WHO:      U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

For more information about the nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test including a signed video, please visit the following websites:

·         www.FEMA.gov

·         www.FCC.gov

·         http://www.fema.gov/eastest/

Having family down in Florida as well as spending time there, I'm always interested in seeing how they come up with the emergency plans that they do.  They are (in my opinion) one of the best at looking ahead and planning for disasters.  I received an email from Chris Floyd down there and they recently did a tabletop exercise using a newer software tool that enabled everyone to stay where they were, yet be a very big part of the process.  This would be one way of getting all of the entities together without having to incur the costs associated with it. 

Here's his email along with a lot of information on different scenarios.  If you wish to see what other projects they've completed, just click on the completed projects link at the top of their webpage.  www.HurricaneAccess.org 

Have a great week!

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 9:15 AM, Chris Floyd <chrisfloyd@drc-group.com> wrote:
 

Hurricane Access Makes Landfall in North Florida

During the last week of September county Emergency Operations Centers in regions one and two were buzzing with the activities associated with Hurricane Access.

What was Hurricane Access?

Sponsored by Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, Hurricane Access was a unique exercise which served as an opportunity for stakeholder agencies and organizations charged with providing (Functional Needs Support Services) assistance to disabled, transportation disadvantaged, senior citizens and limited or non-English speaking residents to work with local county emergency management officials to gain a thorough working knowledge of actions that will need to be taken prior to, during and following a category two hurricane striking their county.

During the Hurricane Access exercise county emergency management worked in coordination with their local Functional Needs Support Services (FNSS) stakeholder agencies and organizations (Community Partners) to assess each other’s working knowledge of plans, procedures and process associated with information gathering and resource sharing.

In addition, the exercise drilled down to the level of emergency management coordinating with Community Partners to deliver specific services to individuals and families with FNSS needs.  

According to Greg Strader, Executive Director for Escambia County’s Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE), “The exercise compelled participating organizations to identify creative solutions to address the needs of the simulated disaster survivors in collaborative and coordinated ways that I haven’t seen previously in my nearly 40 years of work with emergency management.”

Franklin County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Rundel’s thoughts on the exercise were “The exercise was our county’s opportunity to bring together Community Partners with a focus on identifying the FNSS capabilities of each partner agency and organization. This exercise will assist us as we continue to enhance plans and procedures to meet the needs of county residents following a disaster.” 

The exercise was facilitated via an internet based exercise application which allowed all counties to participate in the exercise simultaneously. In utilizing the internet teams located at each EOC were able to identify new Community Partners via several resource identifier web sites that were incorporated into the exercise.

Volunteer Florida’s Merrilee White, who served as an exercise evaluate during both the exercises, stated “The Hurricane Access exercises were a great opportunity for emergency management to set face to face with community organizations that can help make FNSS a reality in Florida.”

“Hurricane Access was an extremely effective means to bring about serious planning and partner development for FNSS in disaster response. It is the first positive step to learning what needs to be done as well as clearly identifying what resources can be truly counted upon to meet FNSS needs during a local disaster response.” As stated by Bill Dion, American Red Cross - North Florida Region Planner, at the conclusion of the region one exercise.

Carol Stachurski, an Advocate with Disability Rights Florida, participating in the region two exercise at the Leon County EOC was overheard saying “the exercise provided me with a wealth of information regarding emergency management procedures as well as giving Community Partners an opportunity to work together to meet the needs of individuals and families with disabilities following a hurricane.”

Additional information regarding the Hurricane Access Exercise can be obtained by accessing: www.HurricaneAccess.org.

If you'd like to attend and try numerous kinds of chili, here's the info.

 The 2011 3rd Annual Municipal Chili Cook-Off, being held Sunday, November 13, 2-4 pm, at Kettle Moraine High School, 349 N. Oak Crest, Wales. Proceeds donated. Come support and vote for ...your favorite clerk, elected official, or employee. 5 chili categories: Mild, Hot, Vegetarian, Wild Game, or White. Beverages and desserts available for purchase. Admission is 2 or more nonperishable food items or cash donation. For questions or to donate to the food pantry, call (262) 968-3968.

Have a great week!

It's been a while since I've posted anything here.  Sorry about that.  Looking over some of the emails that I've received over the past couple of months, it's nice to know that some of you are wondering where the heck I've been.  For those interested, here's where the Roads of Life have taken our family.

On August 26th, we welcomed our second grandchild compliments of our oldest son and his wife.  This makes 2 for Brian and I now.  Both are healthy and a joy to be around.  Carter was born at 9:00am that morning.  After a flurry of phone calls, texts and pictures via cyberspace, all of our family was feeling blessed and looking forward to what this little guy (9lbs. 5 ozs.) would bring to the dynamics of our growing family. 

At 9:30 that evening, we received a phone call from Illinois informing us that Brians' Dad had been stricken while at home by an aneurysm.  None of us were expecting this and just that week, we had stayed up with both Dad and his wife playing pinochle until 3am on one of our impromptu visits.  Another blessing for us was that he did not suffer and passed on exactly the way he would have wanted to.  Unfortunately, it was the first one of our parents to lose and we were not prepared for anything to follow.  You see friends go through these scenarios, offer your help and condolences, yet really have no clue how this will change your world until it's your turn. 

It was interesting to receive the phone call when we just happened to be with all of our kids (except for the new parents down in Florida).  Watching my kids absorb this was one of the most painful things I've had to witness.  Brians' Dad was very involved with our family over the years.  You never knew when he was going to show up, call or be the recipient of one of his many emails or texts at all hours of the day/night.  We are still getting emails from him that he set to be sent on certain days.  In fact, Brian got a text message from him as we were on the phone with his wife.  Technology use from the beyond.

We helped his wife plan his funeral via phone and somehow all of the kids got their schedules rearranged to spend 3 days down in Illinois honoring him.  While we tried to make it short and sweet, we were amazed and awestruck at the hundreds of people that came to the visitation that ended up lasting over 5 hours.  Complete strangers showing up to tell us of how Dad had helped them over the years, sharing stories of his antics and comforting all of us.  Dad loved fun.  He would have loved seeing and hearing what was said in those 5 hours. 

As we all made our way back to Wisconsin, we started to get a glimpse of what was to come.  Dad was one of those people that had decided that he was going to live forever.  Thus, this left a lot of loose ends that we are still trying to rectify even today.  Another lesson learned on what you really need to do when it comes to leaving things neat and tidy so that your family members don't end up trying to fix it when you are gone.  I know that Brian and I plan on sitting all of our kids down and giving them copies of things that they will need when it's our turn.  And, we thought that we were pretty good when it came to neat and tidy.

We are very lucky in that all of us have a great relationship and we are all able to discuss the latest findings as well as come up with the solutions as a family.  I can't imagine having to do this if there are relationship issues to deal with at the same time.  Another lesson learned.  Keep your family close and always keep the communication lines open.

As a result of Dad's passing, we have a family member that Brian and I will hopefully become successor guardians of in the very near future.  This has resulted in both of us taking a crash course in developmentally disabled care, lingo and laws.  In Dads' way of protecting this person, he forgot to sit down and have a conversation with all of us so that we would know what his wishes were and possibly be able to put things in place in order to have a smooth transition.  Another lesson learned.  Reading through some of his communications with the Developmentally Disabled Facility over the past 50 years, it is quite apparent that he was doing all that he could in order to spare the rest of us the worry, time and expense.  He was always true to his family.  It is even more apparent to all of us now, how deeply he felt about that.

In the midst of all of this, we were also taking care of the final details of our daughters' wedding which occurred on Oct. 15th.  There were many times when we would realize that we would have to inject a bit more happiness into this part of our world while dealing with the sadness of losing Dad.  Our daughter was a real trooper through all of this.  And, the wedding was beautiful.  As was she!

We still have a long ways to go on getting everything on track.  But, as we look at each item, we try and see what the lesson is so that we can perhaps alleviate another scenario such as this one for our own kids.  But, we also realize that there is a much higher power at work here and none of us really knows the plan.  Oh, to know the plan!

Have a great week!

Just heard about this.  For those interested in seeing an actual home/office with an array of assistive technology, it's located at 555 Country Club Road in Green Bay, WI.  Here's the link for more information.

http://www.optionsil.com/

The HLAA Chapter in the Fox Valley is going to be touring this on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011.  There will be a bus leaving the Unitarian Fellowship Church at 5:45pm.  They still have some spots open if you would like to participate.  Contact Lorna at lhamilton3232@yahoo.com to reserve a spot.  There is no charge for the bus.

If you are unable to attend the tour, feel free to contact Options via their website above.

Have a great week!

I've been spending a little time looking at the cost of programs in various states.  I came across this very detailed report from 2010 for Wisconsin on the Food Stamp programs currently used in Wisconsin.  For those of you that would like to know how these programs are set up, run and the costs of the technology vs. the old way (paper system), here you go.  I was also surprised to see that JP Morgan Chase administers a lot of these programs in various states.

Link:  http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/WICPRO/EBT/report.pdf

When you think about all of the Social programs in the U.S. that we currently have, it is truly amazing how much money is involved.  There has to be a simpler way.

Have a great week!

Here's the latest on the CI500 recall.  It looks like they are only 'recalling' the CI's that have not been implanted in patients yet.  According to this Austrailian newspaper, patients with this model will be monitored for failure of the implant.  This is not the first recall by a CI manufacturer.  Considering that it costs approximately 85k to have one of these implanted here in the U.S., you would think that they would be able to perfect the instrument.  I'm hearing from quite a few CI patients that their CI's are not workig properly and some that have now had to have them replaced.  Very frustrating for all involved.

Here's the link for those interested:  http://www.smh.com.au/business/cochlear-shares-plummet-on-product-recall-20110912-1k4sr.html  Due to the time difference between the U.S. and Australia, their newspapers start carrying info. on this earlier than ours do here in the States.  We will probably start to see the U.S. papers cover this later today.

Have a great week!

Did you know that the Milwaukee area has a pretty large number of people that are Deaf?  Have you ever given any thought as to how they are able to participate in the many social opportunities that those with normal hearing take for granted? 

Here's a local story of a new Priest in Milwaukee that is deaf and how he's helping those that use ASL as their main form of communication be able to participate and be a part of Church services.

Link:  http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/127716843.html

There are limited opportunities everywhere for those with hearing loss to truly be able to feel like they are part of the communication.  If your language is ASL, you have 2 options.  Surround yourself with those that 'speak' your language or remain an observer and hope that you can figure out what is going on if you are in a group where no one knows ASL.  Even those with hearing loss understand this dilemma.  While we may not use or even know ASL (most with hearing loss do not know ASL), we exhibit great patience when it comes to attending a social event where we are in the minority.  Personally, I don't get frustrated or upset when it comes to being able to 'hear' what is going on.  After all, my hearing loss is my own.  It was not the result of anyone else. 

I still find myself after all of these years, depending on friends and family members to help me out when it comes to not being able to understand vocal communications.  I even carry a small pad of paper and pen just in case I need to have someone write something down in order for me to understand what they are saying.  While it would be much easier for me to play the sympathy card, that is not going to solve the problem of being able to be a part of the social activities that many with normal hearing take for granted.  it is ultimately up to the person with the loss to figure out a way that will allow them to get off of the sidelines and into the mix.  It's also a lot of work!

It's not like you will know of our hearing loss just by looking at us.  So, most of us won't hold you responsible for knowing how best to communicate when you are interacting with us.  I think that we will always have to deal with the people that don't have a clue when it comes to doing what works best in our case, but, you've also got many opportunities to educate and teach those around you what to do when it comes to communication, our way.  Take advantage of these moments, but don't become frustrated when someone just doesn't want to take the time to expand their horizons.  There are many out there that will go out of their way to work within your world.  I look at the others that refuse as missing out on an opportunity to learn something that they could use almost everywhere they go.

For those of you interested, here are a few tips!

     1.  Speak directly to our face.  A lot of us can read lips and if we can't see your mouth, we won't be able to utilize this talent. 

     2.  Keep your hands away from your face.  It's amazing how many people cover the lower part of their faces when talking!  We don't care what your teeth look like.  We just want to be able to see how your lips are moving, where your tongue is going (some letters of the alphabet cause the tongue to move in different ways!) and your facial expressions.  It's our way to judging if the conversation is serious or funny.

     3.  Don't mumble!  And, don't over enunciate your words.  Yelling doesn't help either.  Turning up the volume of your voice will not cause our hearing loss to disappear.  Another misconception for those with normal hearing. 

     4.  If you have a beard or mustache, you've just complicated our lip reading world.  Again, if we can't see how your mouth is moving, we will have a problem figuring out what you are saying.  Also, keep in mind that we can 'hear' you across the room if we are good lipreaders.  Another humorous aspect of being able to know what is being said when the participants think they are 'out of earshot'.

     5.  If you see us standing off to the side with a wall behind us, there's a reason!  By having our back to a wall, preferably in a smaller area, we are better able to try and keep up with the conversation.  We also like to 'talk' one on one vs. being in a very large group.  And, high ceilings, background music and clanging dishes/silverware are on our dislike lists.

     6.  If you happen to be with a group of people that are using ASL and you don't know the language, don't be afraid to let them know that you don't know the language.  Usually there is someone in the group that can vocalize very well.  This is my situation!  I don't know ASL well enough to keep up with those that use it as their primary source of communication.  Think about that one!  Not only can I not 'hear' them, I can't understand what their hands are saying.  A real bummer.

There are many websites with lots of tips on communication styles for those with hearing loss.  Feel free to do a search on it.  You may be surprised at some of the suggestions.  And, hopefully, it will help you to understand that we really aren't that difficult to 'talk' with.  You just have to put yourselves in our world.

Have a great week!

For those of you that bought or are wondering about the validity of the HearUSA Hearing Aid provider, here's a letter to customers that I found via the HearUSA website.  Link:  http://www.trusteeservices.biz/HearUSA/Documents/Customer%20Letter.pdf

As you know, HearUSA partnered with AARP a few years ago.  They were the providers of hearing aids if you had the AARP Hearing Aid Insurance policy as well as some customers that opted to go to their stores to obtain hearing aids.  There is a lot going on right now via the courts and attorneys.  If you wish to know more, just go to the HearUSA website and click on the Company Sale link in the right hand column.  Link to website:  http://www.hearusa.com/BottomMenu/InvestorRelations.aspx

According to the customer letter above, they are still honoring the warranty as well as providing the customer the ability to obtain batteries.  I'm not sure how long this is in effect for since the 'sale' is supposedly happening in September via the Court System.

There have been many discussions in hearing loss world regarding the Royalty fees HearUSA has been paying AARP since the inception of their partnership/contract agreement.  The financial statements that I have been able to find via the internet does show that there was an agreement for HearUSA to pay AARP a certain price per hearing aid sold via the AARP Ins. policy.  Here's the link to the agreement that I found online:  http://google.brand.edgar-online.com/EFX_dll/EDGARpro.dll?FetchFilingHtmlSection1?SectionID=6883379-202889-222204&SessionID=CFJNHS0AHf40g77   As you can see, HearUSA agreed to several things in this agreement with AARP.  I'm sure that once they realized that they were not going to be increasing sales to the extent that they originally thought, parts of this agreement became cost prohibitive for HearUSA.  Another lesson in how to run a business in my opinion.  Back in November 2009, I actually wrote a column on this new partnership between AARP and HearUSA.  Here's the link:  http://www.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/communityblogs/69088032.html

I received a few emails from people that were upset with my opinion on this relationship.  As much as I enjoy being correct, this is really a sad situation for those that are now paying the insurance premiums to AARP and/or have purchased their HA's from HearUSA.  It would be interesting to find out how AARP is going to handle the insurance policies that have been bought by Seniors to partially cover the cost of the hearing aids.  I have yet to find anything on that via the media or internet. 

If you have any other questions regarding your HA's, I would suggest that you contact your provider that you purchased it from for more information.  If, for some reason, your provider is saying that they no longer service them, please print out the customer letter (link above) and show it to them.  According to it, they should still be taking care of you, at least until the September Court Sale.  If you have any other info., that you would like to share with other readers, please feel free to post it in the comment section.

Have a great week!

Looking back over the past 10 years or so, it is truly amazing how far technology has come when it comes to finding a possible solution to dealing with your hearing loss.  As noted in the NY Times article in the previous posting, the cochlear implant has enabled many to enhance the small amount of hearing that they still had and even help those that were termed 'deaf' to hear quite a few sounds that they did not know existed.  Now, that we've seen the outcomes of cochlear implant technology, we are now also starting to see some of the downsides. 

Here in the Milwaukee area, they are now doing the CI surgery and leaving the cochlea intact.  The hairs that let sound travel to your audiological nerve are still 'shaved' so in effect, this will still lead to your natural Cochlea no longer being able to process sound.  So, one of the biggest decisions on having this surgery is whether or not you wanted to be deaf (if you had an residual hearing in that ear) if the CI ceased to work or you had problems with it.  I'm in favor of leaving any parts of the body intact in order to take advantage of any new technology that comes down the road later. 

Another problem is the programming.  This is also true for those that have just a hearing aid.  We are still running into professionals that are not listening to the patient.  Everyone hears sounds differently.  There is no cookie cutter case when it comes to programming a CI or a hearing aid.  With the advent of computer programming being used to fine tune these instruments, the patient is still the best person to listen to when it comes to how that programming works for them.  Until we get the audi's/programmers to realize this, we will all continue to walk out of their offices with the standard program on our heairng aid or CI.  While they may be the experts and the ones with the training and education, there are very few that have hearing loss working in this field.  Whenever I hear a CI or HA patient tell me that the specialist that they are seeing has told them that this is all that they can do for them, it frustrates the heck out of me.  These patients are the ones that will not continue to wear their HA's and CI's due to the lack of diligence on the audi/programmers part.  In other words, they will end up being put into a drawer and the patient will continue to live as they did before they got the darn things in the first place.

There are several message and chat groups via the internet that patients have joined in order to trouble shoot with others on the problems they are having with programming.  I highly recommend that you take the time to at least go on these websites and read some of the conversations.  For a list of the websites, they can be found in this column that I posted a few weeks ago.  Link:  http://www.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/communityblogs/125294388.html

Another good site to get information on hearing loss issues is:  bh News group on Yahoo: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/bhNEWS/  Bob runs this one and he's very good at getting the latest information out to his members.  He recently posted a great recall article on the AB Cochlear Implants with a very detailed link to one of the recall documents.

With the advent of bills/laws being passed in many states over the past couple of years that require insurance companies to pay for CI's and HA's for children, many parents are now having to decide which way to go when it comes to their child with hearing loss.  The average cost of a CI/surgery/follow up visits is around 85k.  The average cost for a HA is anywhere from $600 to $3k each.  If you are on Medicare (specifically those over 65), it will also pay for a CI if you meet their criteria.  Taking the cost factor out of the equation has opened the doors for many to look into getting a HA or CI.  It has also opened the door to another source of revenue for the Industry.  So, now, we have all kinds of experts and studies being done to justify why you should get these.  Especially for children.  While some of these studies ring true, others seem to focus more on trying to make the parents feel guilty about not utilizing this technology for their children.  If you look at where the funding came from for the study, this will give you an idea of the politics involved.  I'm always a bit dubious when I see that a study was conducted by, a grant received or a company involved that sells these products or the associated services that go with them.  You can't help but wonder if the outcome of the study is skewed towards the entity that will benefit financially from it.

It will be interesting to see how all of this is looked at in a few years.  The population numbers will be much greater and this will allow a greater level of observation to be done as to the benefits and rewards of the technology.  Especially in the CI field.  One of the most important things that we as consumers and users can do is to be vocal about how these things are working out for us.  Without our input, the industry will continue to do what it thinks is best for all of us and in the long run miss out on the true story and facts as to how these instruments are really working.  It's definitely a case of remembering to 'question everything'.

Have a great week!

Found this article this morning via the New York Times.  Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/us/27deaf.html?_r=1&hp

As technology becomes available to possibly enable more deaf to 'hear' via cochlear implants and specialized hearing aids, this discussion will likely continue to evolve.  There are 2 very good sides to this argument.  Being the only one in my family that had hearing loss as well as a child entering grade school in the 1960's, there were not many options in the education system at that time to figure out what to do with me.  Having the availability of a really good speech therapist as a 6 year old enabled me to overcome the language deficit and at least try and succeed in the education mainstream world that existed then.

Fast forward 45 years and the opportunities for children with hearing loss are greater and fraught with more emotional decisions for the parents.  Imagine coming from a family that is Deaf and growing up with ASL (American Sign Language), only to find out that there is a very strong possibility that the school you were planning on sending your ASL speaking child to may no longer be an option?  On the other hand, imagine being a child with some residual hearing, access to good hearing health providers, parents able to afford the solutions that will enable their child to hear and process sounds (most insurance companies won't pay for hearing aids) and then being told that you should not mainstream your child when it comes to their education?  Which scenario is right for the child?

In my opinion, both are.  There is very little known about the Deaf Culture by those that are not hearing challenged.  In my case, I didn't even meet any Deaf persons until the past few years.  I'm still struggling with how best to communicate with them since my ASL skills are very weak (most people with hearing aids don't know ASL) and it's so much easier to just forget about trying to forge a relationship with someone that 'doesn't speak your language'.  I know that's the easy way to solve it, but I've met some very intelligent and wonderful people that are Deaf and I would really like to learn more about what they think as well as their opinions on everyday things in our world.  (the old days of being classified as deaf and dumb was a misnomer and totally untrue in most cases)  I finally got up the courage to admit my lack of understanding to a few of those in the Deaf Population and after some initial awkwardness, we are now learning from each other as our professional as well as personal friendships grow. 

One of the bigger challenges that I am finding is that even though both groups (Hearing Challenged and Deaf) have one of their senses deficient, we have never looked at ourselves as being in the same situation.  Thus the culture differences come to light.  The best way that I can explain this for those of you not in Hearing Loss world is to think about the challenges of communication and interaction with someone that either does not speak your language or has elected to interact with those that are only similiar to them.  It's a tough situation to fix.  Very similiar to how some feel about different races in a lot of ways.

In my case, I would have loved to experience ASL in my youth as another form of communication.  Of course, at the time, there were not even hearing aids that would work for me.  And, I don't remember anyone in my school system that knew or taught ASL.  In todays' world, there are many more opportunities for students.  But, the parents need to ask the pertinent questions of the school in order to learn of the programs.  For some, the best option, at least in their mind is to just enroll their kids in the local school and tackle the frustrations and problems as they evolve.  This puts everyone behind right from the start. 

With the current budget/economy situation, the days of being able to depend on government programs and initiatives is waning.  The non-profit groups such as National Assoc. for the Deaf, Hearing Loss Association of America, ect. are going to have to step up and take on some of the responsibility for educating parents on what services, programs and tools are available for them and their children.  I would love to see a program at the elementary school level that teaches normal hearing children what a child with hearing loss goes through.  A similiar program would also be great for the kids that have hearing loss so that they can learn how to interact with the 'normal' kids.  There were many days as a child and even now, that I would have loved to be considered a 'normal kid'.

Have a great week!

This is a newsletter that goes out to City and County Officials nationwide.  It has pretty good information on the latest things that government, at a local level, is looking at or trying to solve.  There are also quite a few links to disability issues.  If you would like to sign up for it, you can do so by following the contact link/sign up link.  It is usually sent out every few weeks.

Here's the link:  http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=698700848&message_id=1471607&user_id=NACCHO

Have a great week!

Imagine being a visitor to our State and just happening to stop at the newly re-opened Visitors Welcome Center in Beloit as they are conducting their grand opening on Monday?  Imagine being one of the guest speakers only to find that no one can hear anything that you are saying?  Since the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is not covering this, here's what happened.

Link to video/story from the Rockford, IL TV station:  http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/125786723.html

Link to YouTube Video of the protest/presentation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbtHvHIymFQ&feature=share

It's sad (at least to me) to see how we are now forgetting to be civil to others regardless of their political affiliation.  The people associated with the Welcome Center spent time and money to provide a nice event complete with refreshments, speakers and information only to find that none of the intended participants (visitors to our State) would be able to even hear what was so special about their newest addition to the State. 

How would you feel if you were a visitor to our State and this is the first thing that you saw?  Would you want to come back?  Spend some time in the Beloit area?  How do you think visitors felt when they happened to enter this facility as this was going on?  Is this what we want the first impression of Wisconsin to be to potential tourists? 

Let's all try and be a little more tolerant of each other when it comes to political differences.  If we want to be able to sit down and have a civil conversation with those that are now in office, we need to show that we will adhere to the basic rules of respect, manners and tolerance.  Otherwise, none of us are going to be able to 'hear' the other side of things in order to come up with a solution that will be fair and equal for all.  Just my opinion!

Have a great week!