Loaner Hearing Aids
These instructions are for caregivers of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients who are borrowing hearing aids until they receive their own.
Important information about hearing aids:
Some children may resist hearing aids at first. They may not like the way the hearing aids feel in their ears. They may hear sounds differently or even sounds they have never heard before. They may need some time to get used to wearing their hearing aids.
Each child and family will adjust in their own way.
Instructions for inserting an earmold/behind-the-ear hearing aid:
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Turn the hearing aid off. Some hearing aids are programmed with a delay to allow time to insert.
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Hold the earmold upright, with the canal part pointed towards the ear canal. Grasp the mold between your thumb and index finger.
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Be sure the canal part of the earmold is facing your child’s ear. Place the mold into the ear canal. If it is difficult to get into place, gently pull the ear back and up with your other hand.
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Rotate the earmold backwards so that it locks into place. Place the hearing aid behind the ear. Do not twist the tubing.
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Check the placement of the mold by gently pressing on it to ensure it fits correctly. Close the battery door to turn on the hearing aid if not already done.
Instructions for removing an earmold/behind-the-ear hearing aid:
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Turn the hearing aid off. Open battery door enough to turn the hearing aid off.
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Gently grasp the earmold (not the clear tubing!). Pull forward and out of the ear.
Instructions for disposable batteries:
The life span of a hearing aid battery ranges from 3 to 14 days. Hearing aid battery life depends on the model, hours of use, programming, and size of the battery.
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Do not store hearing aids with the battery door closed. This will help prevent drain on the battery and will also allow moisture to come out of the hearing aids overnight.
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Carry spare batteries with you. Give extra batteries to the school nurse or your child’s teacher. Hearing aid batteries work at full power until they are almost fully drained, and then they suddenly stop working. If the battery goes dead and there is no spare, your child will be unable to hear until they can get a new battery.
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The tab on the battery prevents it from draining before it is ready for use. To activate the battery, remove the tab and allow it to sit for a few minutes before closing the battery door. The battery is activated by exposure to air. An easy way to track battery life is to place the tab on the calendar the day you replace it.
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Store batteries in a cool, dry place. Keep the sticker tabs on them until ready for use. Do not store them in the refrigerator.
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Insert the battery so that the “+” side of the battery matches up with the “+” on the battery door. It should fit fairly easily into the door, and you should not have to force the door closed. If it doesn’t close easily, the battery is probably not placed correctly.
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Batteries can be dangerous or even deadly if swallowed. Keep batteries away from young children and pets. For emergency treatment, call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline collect at 800-498-8666, call 911, and/or go to your closest emergency room.
Instructions for hearing aid care and maintenance:
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Hearing aids need to be kept in good working condition. A care kit is available for a small fee from your managing audiologist. The kit contains items such as a battery tester, earmold air blower, hearing aid dryer (dehumidifier) and stethoset (listening set). The kit can help you care for and check the hearing aids.
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Perform daily listening checks to help you become familiar with how the hearing aids sound when they are working properly. This will help you figure out when something is wrong. Listen for any static, crackling or change in the sound. Avoid dropping hearing aids on the floor or other hard surfaces.
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Wipe hearing aids with a soft, dry cloth. Do not wash them or put them in water. Do not use hairspray or other sprays around the hearing aids, as microphones can easily become clogged. Check for dirt, especially around the microphone.
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Make sure that the case is not cracked or chipped. Check the battery compartment for rust.
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Wash earmolds as needed.
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Remove the earmold tubing from the hearing aid hook. Make sure that the tubing stays in the earmold.
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Use warm, soapy water (such as a mild liquid dish soap).
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Dry the earmold using the air blower. Insert the nozzle into the tubing and squeeze it to force air through. Be sure that the earmold and tubing are dry before re-attaching the tubing to the hook.
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Inspect earmolds daily for tears, chips, or cracks.
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Make sure that the earmold is not clogged with wax or debris.
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The earmold should be flexible, not hard or brittle. If earmold tubing is hard and/or yellow, call your managing audiologist to get a replacement. It should not be twisted or crimped.
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The earmold should fit well, molding to every curve of the ear. There should not be a lot of space around the edges of the mold.
Tips for adjusting to hearing aids
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Keeping hearing aids on a child’s ears is one of the biggest challenges that parents of newly diagnosed children face. Sometimes children who have worn hearing aids for a while begin to pull them out of their ears. It is important to remember that a child’s acceptance of hearing aids is affected by the people who surround them. Support and encouragement of regular hearing aid use by parents, siblings, family members, teachers, and classmates is critical.
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At first, your child may only wear the hearing aids for a few minutes at a time. Slowly increase the length of time they are worn, until they can work up to wearing them during all waking hours. Every child is different; it is impossible to predict each child’s reaction to hearing aids.
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Try not to show anger or frustration.
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Connect wearing the hearing aids with something your child enjoys: a favorite book, toy, video, or song.
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Introduce your child to sounds such as people talking, the telephone ringing, and the doorbell. Go outside and identify the different sounds you hear, drawing your child’s attention to who or what made them, for example, birds singing, leaves rustling, cars passing.
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Speak to your child as you would anyone else, drawing their attention to key words such as their name or the name of an object. Try to keep the sounds pleasant. If your child is tired or restless, turn the hearing aids off and remove them.
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If your child refuses the hearing aids, be sure that they are working properly and that the earmolds fit well and are not causing discomfort. Consider your child’s health. Is it possible that they have an ear infection or buildup of earwax? This could cause your child to reject their hearing aids. Contact your managing audiologist with concerns or questions.
Instructions for troubleshooting hearing aids:
Below are common problems, causes and ways to correct them.
Problem: No sound
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Weak or dead battery. Try replacing battery.
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Battery inserted upside down. Re-insert battery correctly.
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Earmold plugged. Try to clean out wax or moisture.
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Tubing twisted or crimped. Try straightening tubing if possible or contact your audiologist.
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Battery contacts corroded. Contact your audiologist.
Problem: Intermittent sound (sound cutting in and out)
Problem: Distortion (unclear sound)
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Battery almost dead. Try replacing battery.
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Moisture in earmold or tubing. Use air blower to remove moisture.
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Moisture in hearing aid. Try using hearing aid dryer overnight.
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Earmold plugged. Try to clean out wax or moisture.
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Microphone opening dirty or covered. Ensure that the microphone is uncovered and clear of dirt.
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Battery contact corroded. Contact your managing audiologist.
Problem: Feedback (whistling)
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The earmold may not be inserted properly. Try to re-insert the earmold. Use lubricant for a better seal.
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The earmold may be plugged. Try to clean out wax.
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There may be wax in the ear canal. Ask the audiologist or your healthcare provider to remove the wax.
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A hat or other item may be touching the hearing aid. This is normal. Try to keep items from touching the hearing aid microphone.
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Reasons to contact the managing audiologist:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I turn the hearing aid on and off?
A: Close the battery door with a battery inside to turn the hearing aid on. Open the battery door to turn the hearing aid off.
Q: How can I tell the right hearing aid from the left hearing aid?
A: The right hearing aid will be marked with a red dot or sticker.
The left hearing aid will be marked with a blue dot or sticker.
You can also refer to the serial numbers written on the back page of this document. Earmolds will only fit in the correct ear. The shape of the earmold follows the shape of the ear.
Q: When should my child wear the hearing aids?
A: Hearing aids should ideally be worn whenever your child is awake, unless otherwise directed by your managing audiologist. Some children may remove the hearing aids from their ears on their own. This is normal behavior, but it is important to put the hearing aids back in. They work best when worn consistently. They cannot help your child at all if they are not in their ears.
Q: When should I take the hearing aids out?
A: Your child should not wear hearing aids:
If your child has a water-resistant hearing aid, we will give you instructions on how to care for it.
When hearing aids are not being used, store them in the case we gave you. Keep the battery door(s) open. If your child has been sweating, if it is hot and humid, or if the hearing aid has been exposed to water, the hearing aid should be stored overnight in the hearing aid dryer, without the battery. Pets like earwax, so store hearing aids out of any pet’s reach.
Q: What can I do to help the hearing aids stay in my child’s ears?
A: For infants and young children, a bonnet that can be purchased online can help prevent them from removing the hearing aids.
Double-sided tape can help keep hearing aids secured behind the ears if they tend to fall forward. You can buy a cord from your audiologist that attaches to the hearing aids and clips to your child’s shirt, so that the hearing aids will not be lost if your child removes them from their ears. You can also make your own by tying clear fishing line to the hearing aids and then tying the other end to a safety pin. This will ensure that if the hearing aids are removed, they are still attached to your child’s clothing.
Contact your audiologist with any questions or concerns.
Center for Childhood Communication
1-800-551-5480
For non-urgent issues, send your audiologist a message in the MyCHOP portal.
Reviewed August 2023 Danielle Leisner, AuD