I recently fit a patient who has dementia and limited dexterity. For him, establishing a routine with the hearing aids has been quite a challenge. His wife has accompanied him to all appointments and has done her best to take responsibility for the day to day care and maintenance of the instruments.

Two months into the process, however, she approached me and explained that she was having a hard time keeping track of what needed to be done. With her not being the one wearing the hearing aids, it is difficult for her to know how well they are functioning. We put our heads together and developed a weekly plan for the hearing aids.

She brought her calendar into the office and we began to mark the following things: Every Wednesday and Sunday we wrote “Batteries.” We decided that when she changed the batteries she would remove the little sticker tab and place it on the calendar on that day, so there was no question whether they had been changed. Additionally, on every Wednesday we wrote “Filter.” This was her reminder to change both wax guards on the hearing aids. She would then cross out the word “Filter” after it had been done.

After two weeks of this, the system seems to be working effectively. The patient is hearing better and the wife feels confident she is taking proper care of the hearing aids.

Although we recognize she may be changing batteries and filters more often than is necessary, it ensures that the hearing aids are working optimally at all times. For the patient’s wife who has many demands and stressors to deal with each and every day, developing a schedule and marking it on the calendar has provided her with a simple way of maintaining the hearing aids for her husband.

By Dr. Julie Boiano Ambrose, CCC-A