The test phase in the next phase

Dear readers, as already announced in my last article, I will now report on the further course of the test phase of my new hearing aids.

During my stay with my mother in the Netherlands I was able to test the new hearing aids extensively.
The first test was a nice and cosy meal with my mother’s neighbours. I really noticed that I actually could understand the conversations a little better despite the background noise.

The next day there was also the next test: in a nearby townhall the Dutch Sinterklaas with his helpers was warmly welcomed by a large group of seniors. Not a senior though, but as being already 50+, I was allowed to accompany my mother. Although the acoustics were not that good and the microphone wasn’t always working properly, it was still possible for me to follow most of it quite well.
When a music bingo started, with short pieces of music from the 60’s, but the quality of the music remained to be desired, I had my doubts, but actually everything went pretty well. And at the end, with the help of my two neighbours, I had bingo too!

And then it went on with testing. Sinterklaas also came by somewhere else, read a long poem and I heard everything relatively well.
Later that day my mother and I went to a big shopping mall to walk and look around a bit and to enjoy some coffee and cake. Since my mother can’t walk very well and not for long anymore, I brought her wheelchair with us. Since the communication between me and my mother became more difficult, because of course I walked behind the wheelchair for pushing, I hang my mother the Rogerpen around her neck and so we could communicate perfectly!

Of course, the test at both airports was just as challenging. The noise, the many, mostly incomprehensible messages … But also with the new hearing aids I mastered this challenge.

Landed on Swiss soil again, I went to the acoustician a few days later. Of course, I also reported extensively on my testexperiences there. And then I received the second pair of hearing aids for testing. These new hearing aids are of the same brand and the same type but in the 3 quality levels that exist they are on the lowest level, where the first hearing aids I tested were on the highest level.
Thanks to the computer, all the settings could be easily transferred to the new hearing aids and voilà, I was able to continue testing again.

In the home of the elderly people where I am a volunteer, the activation specialist and I organized a small and cosy Advent gathering. We drank punch with the residents, sang Advent songs, read Advent poems and -stories and even solved an Advent crossword puzzle. Surprisingly the Swiss Samichlaus gave us a short, belated visit and of course we had to sing to him.
My hearing aids passed this test well, although I noticed some differences with the previous hearing aids. Understanding in a group was less pronounced than with the first hearing aids of the highest level and the suppression of background noise was also better with the first hearing aids.

Fortunately, I still have time over the festive holidays to continue testing until I have to make a decission!