#13, December 2006
Contents
Message from GPCIA President Ask Linn
New Ear’s Party Announcement Open Caption Features
Audiologist’s Corner One-Time Income Tax Credit
Helpful Advice re FM Receiver Board of Directors’ Contact Numbers
A Moving Experience
Georgia Peach Cochlear Implant Association
A nonprofit organization serving Cochlear Implant candidates, recipients, and their families
(An Affiliate Chapter of The Hearing Loss Association of America)
P. O. Box 1172, Tucker, Georgia 30085-1172
December 14, 2006
Dear GPCIA Members & Friends,
It is that time again. As you know every two years a new GPCIA President steps up to become the leader for the Georgia Peach Cochlear Implant Association. So in my stepping down to serve the Organization on the Board of Directors as Past President for the next two years I just wanted to say “Thank You” for all of your support during the past two years that I have had the privilege to serve the Organization as President, and especially to all the Board of Directors who have served so faithfully and worked so hard to help move the Organization forward. I look forward to serving on the Board of Directors the next two years with great anticipation.
Dora Sweigart has been elected to serve as the President of Georgia Peach Cochlear Implant Association for the next two years. Dora is a very capable person to lead the Organization forward for the next two years, having served on the GPCIA Board of Directors for the past several years. I trust with her leadership the Organization will move forward to bigger and better things.
I would like to wish all of you a very “MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR”.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Bowman, President
Georgia Peach Cochlear Implant Association
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AUDIOLOGIST’S CORNER
By: Jolie C. Fainberg, MA, FAAA
Navigating the school system for your child with a cochlear implant.
The school year is in full swing. Whether your child is mainstreamed or in a self contained hearing impaired classroom, these are some tips that will help insure a successful school year. As the parent, you are your child’s link to the school.
Maintaining and troubleshooting CI equipment
It is important for the classroom teacher to have a basic knowledge of troubleshooting your child’s equipment. If possible, send extra batteries and cables to school for emergencies. Troubleshooting guides are available from all three CI companies.
Learning to listen in the classroom
It is an ongoing process to maintain a good auditory environment for your child. Once your child has had some school experience, you, the teacher, and your audiologist can assess the need for an FM system. For some children, preferential seating will be enough.
Assessing the child’s auditory speech and language skill development
A team approach is needed to assess your child’s skills and to be sure appropriate educational goals are set. The team should consist of your CI audiologist, your child’s speech-language or auditory-verbal therapist, and the classroom teacher. This, too, is an ongoing process as your child develops and grows his or her language, speech and auditory skills.
Communicating with the classroom teacher and other adjunct personnel
Continuous communication with the teacher and others working with your child at school will insure success in the classroom. Feedback from the teacher about your child’s progress in school should be communicated to the programming audiologist as well as providing the teacher with the latest map and audiogram. Many families use a communication book to send reports, daily updates, progress notes and other information back and forth from home to school.
Be sure to include any other professionals working with your child such as speech-language therapist, social worker, psychologist, physical and /or occupational therapist, etc.
All three cochlear implant companies have wonderful, free programs for teachers. They offer web classes, resource materials to download, troubleshooting guides, etc.
Advanced Bionics Corporation Tools for Schools: www.bionicear.com
Cochlear Corporation HOPE Program: www.cochlear.com/HOPE
Med El Corporation Educational Services: www.medelus.com (under resources)
Your audiologist, the CI company, and the teacher are part of your team. Together they can provide you with the support and guidance to maximize your child success in school.
Jolie C Fainberg, MA, FAAA
Pediatric Audiologist
Cochlear Implant Program Leader
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
1605 Chantilly Drive NE, Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30324 404-785-8214
404-785-8352 FAX
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HELPFUL ADVICE RE FM BAND RECEIVER
By: Jim Holt, Sugar Hill, GA
I was with my wife Meredith when she
visited Cindy Gary for a "tune up" session on her processor programming.
We discussed an item I'd purchased for her earlier this year which has been of
much help to her hearing and understanding of whats being said during services
at our
church. Cindy suggested that I write something up for inclusion
in the next GPCIA Newsletter:
For those of you who've made the effort to
utilize the assistive hearing devices offered in many churches, movie theaters,
etc. (FM receivers in the special 70Mhz band), and have been repeatedly
disappointed because other users have already been given the few receivers they
had before you arrived (and therefore, you don't get one) or worse yet, the
receivers are broken or in serious disrepair, I've come across something that
may help.
For background, Meredith has suffered with steadily worsening hearing loss most of her adult life, finally opting for and receiving an implant in June of 2005. She had tried the receivers over the years (frequently putting up with the above mentioned disappointments), but with her CI processor and the personal audio cord which came with it, the receiver idea helped her understanding of what was being said during services at our church better than ever before. She was so pleased that she literally kept one of the churches receivers so that she'd not be disappointed in the future.
We both attended the Cochlear Corporation
Celebration in Orlando in February of 2006 and, while attending the very first
session, a staffer handed Meredith what looked like a transistor-sister FM radio
which would scan the entire 70Mhz FM band to find the right channel which
was broadcasting the audio of the speakers’ voices and media presented
during the session. It worked
well for her.
A few months after
we’d returned from Orlando, I noted an advertisement in the HLAA magazine which
offered a similar receiver not only tuning the special 70Mhz band, but
additionally it would tune the entire FM broadcast band of 88 to 108Mhz for what
seemed a reasonable price. Of course, I ordered one for her and she's been
very pleased with it. It is identified by the seller, General Technologies
in Fair
Oaks,
California as a Landmark Scan Receiver, Model FM350 and sells for
$69.99 plus shipping. If you're interested, you can visit their website by
clicking on the following URL: http://www.devices4less.com/Bargains.html
The
site will explain in detail just what the receiver does and allow you to order
one if you wish. Meredith really relies on hers these
days.
Jim Holt
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A MOVING EXPERIENCE
By: Louise Skalko, Johnson City, TN
About three years ago, my daughters started a campaign to get me to move closer to them, back to the Johnson City Tennessee area, where two of them have lived for years. I’d never thought of moving again. The dozen previous cross-country moves seemed more than enough for any one human being, and I was happily ensconced in my Augusta, Georgia, house that I loved…lots of sunshine, picture windows, large office to accommodate a drafting table and file cabinets, a library, and a very private garden. Also, no snow! Well, at least not much snow!
After mulling pros and cons for about a year, I decided to explore this alternative. They were correct: early retirement meant that I was no longer tied to Augusta for a job, so that consideration was easy to resolve. I’d be closer to two of my daughters, with an easier drive for the third, so that consideration was also very positive. I’d moved so may times before that the “packing” was not a hassle for me. I could do it in my sleep.
Yet, in some ways, the thought of moving again seemed overwhelming. I knew I had to downsize from 2700 square feet (really too much for one person!) to half that size. My most daunting consideration was parting with the accumulation of forty-odd years of furniture, paintings, memorabilia, antiques, grand piano, and books, books, books! My work in Augusta had been writing training manuals for various businesses and nuclear/manufacturing facilities, so I had a most extensive personal and professional library: twenty feet of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, plus another room of wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookcases. All filled to overflowing!!
In early 2005 I made the decision to move, and contacted a realtor who had worked with me before: very knowledgeable, very personable, very competent, great credentials on paper, but totally unavailable to buyers trying to make appointments. At the end of the listing, this realtor offered to buy the house for 20% less than the agreed-upon listing price. HUNH !? !? !? Something didn’t seem quite right here.
I researched other realtors and with much optimism, listed with a different realtor, very large office. This realtor listed my house in the SOUTH CAROLINA zip code area instead of the Augusta area. HUNH !? By this time, I was beginning to get slightly paranoid with realtors when an unusual series of events occurred: I fell and broke my arm, was unable to drive, and could not drop off some promised audiotapes to a friend. The friend volunteered to come by my house to pick them up and instantly realized that this was the perfect house for her needs. Her husband’s comment after viewing it was: “I AM at home!” and a contract was signed. Can you hear my sigh of relief !? !?
Now comes the really challenging part: finding a house in Johnson City, a five-hour drive away. I’d been researching their real estate books and websites for about a year and had a pretty good idea of areas, subdivisions, streets. I also had a list of criteria I was looking for. I ultimately met an absolutely fantastic realtor, Melinda Elliott from Willow Realty, who was willing to meet with me, correspond via email, serve as intermediary for all people I needed to speak with but couldn’t hear on the telephone, and generally did all the countless things needed to get settled in a new area. Our agreement was that she would understand what I wanted enough so that she could “walk in my shoes” . . . view properties from my point of view . . and she did!
We eliminated many properties long before we met in person, and we soon had a “short” list. After three mornings, she urged me to look at an area I had not previously considered, and it was all over! Right size, good floor plan, plenty of basement space, new house, small lot, lovely quiet neighborhood, and it felt right!
For the next four months, we emailed each other many times a day. Since I could not hear on the phone, she was my main “translator,” conveying builders’ requests and my responses; providing vendors’ addresses and directions; making all appointments; giving suggestions on quality of materials, colors, specific needs that I had not considered . . and through this whole time, totally competent, professional, concerned for my needs, and patient. Extremely patient!
Now back to Augusta to pack: some of my belongings were sold and many donated to various organizations: Girls Inc, Boys and Girls Club, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Rehab organizations for people with Disabilities, Goodwill, etc. As difficult as it was to part with everything, I felt good that they were going to people who had need for these things. I packed everything else, and ended up with about 260 boxes of varying sizes . . . mostly books.
Another positive was finding a long-distance mover: Bill and Lois Monro, an affiliate of Allied Van Lines. Again, all communication was via email, comfortable for me and a gracious accommodation on the part of the Monros. Bill came by the house with hand-held computer and within an hour handed me a printout of all my items with estimated cost. Moving dates were ultimately set, and my belongings were to be the only load on the van . . good idea to ensure no loss or mixup. The movers arrived on time and everything was loaded within four hours!
Melinda had previously coordinated with TN builder to ensure that no building materials would be delivered on the day my van arrived, and off-loading took three hours. I was now in my new house! My heart was soaring . . furniture was delivered . . builders were finished . . and utilities connected, again thanks to Melinda’s assistance.
Then started a series of unbelievable glitches. Intermittent telephone service. Sometimes I had a dial tone, sometimes not. Without telephone service, I could not communicate . . no phone, no TTY, no fax, no email, no security system. Scary !? !? ! oh yes ! ! !
Gracious neighbors would call for me, knowing I could not hear on the phone, and phone techs would come out . . sometimes as late as 7 p.m. However, it happened again. And again. And again. Everyone was stymied. On a bright, sunny, cold morning . . after a night of NO PHONE SERVICE ! ! ! . . three techs came by. Nothing like seeing three phone trucks parked in front of your house. They went over everything . . .AGAIN . . . with a fine tooth comb, finally concluding that they’d found the problem. Yeah. Right. I’d been hearing this for three months. However, one whole week now and I’ve had a dial tone every day . . so maybe I don’t have to drag out sleeping bags and pillows for the telephone techs!
Then there were conversions for health / auto / home insurance, bank, credit union, Medicare, Social Security, doctors, audiologist, etc., etc., etc. I tried to handle most of this via email, and any email replies from Johnson City companies met my selection criteria for people most willing to work with me in the future. Painless! What a relief! I’ve even had a re-mapping with my new audiologist Jayne Fritz, who scheduled my appointment on the day the Advanced Bionics clinical rep was in town.
On the “weird” side, I could not get a trash barrel. They’d been back-ordered for six months, but still unavailable. To put my trash out, I had to walk down a long, steep drive pushing cardboard boxes of trash at the crack of dawn. Why at the crack of dawn? Because raccoons would “attack” the cardboard or plastic bags during the night. Remember this is Tennessee, Dan’l Boone country! After two months of this weekly exercise, a bright blue trash barrel was delivered to my front porch! The neighbors cheered! Another glitch resolved . . with thank you’s to all the people who made it possible.
On the down side, purchases had to be handled in person . . appliances, drapes, workbench, porch swing, plants, garden equipment, smaller furniture, etc. All conversations with salespeople in crowded stores with lots of background noise. ARGH-GH ! ! ! But everyone was so patient . . salespeople making sure I could understand their information . . deliveries made on time . . returns graciously resolved if I got the wrong size or color or duplicates.
In between all this, Al Laframboise and I managed to get started on our mutual goals, to provide support for people with hearing loss in this area. There is no cochlear implant support group, no Hearing Loss of America chapter, no CI surgeon. Nearest CI audiologist is thirty minutes away in Kingsport. Nearest CI surgical facility is 200 miles away in Nashville. Nearest HLAA chapter is about 200 miles away in Chattanooga. Seems like a perfect opportunity!
I’d started this about fifteen years ago when I’d established a scholarship at East Tennessee State University, primarily designated for students with hearing loss. Within a short time after moving here, I met with the scholarship administrator and his staff to discuss the current status of the scholarship, and also with ETSU’s Disabilities Coordinator. Together we’re setting up plans for meeting the students, disseminating information about the scholarship, and making presentations about hearing loss to various community organizations.
Al is now volunteering four mornings a week at the VA audiology department . . can you think of a better “fit?” While most of his duties are routine, he does provide copies of his articles to the staff and frequently speaks to the patients, especially CI candidates, about his CI experiences. He loves it!
Both Al and I talk constantly about GPCIA and HLAA, and we’ve already met and chatted with several people in the area. Turns out that one of Al’s co-workers at the VA already knew my daughter, Pat, who had helped her HOH daughter in classes, sharing notes, and making sure that her classmate understood everything the professor was saying, from lectures to assignments. Small world!
This has happened many times already in town . . seeing my new banker and her son-in-law at a restaurant (her son-in-law was my appliance salesman!) . . the man who installed the handles on the kitchen cabinets went to school with one of my daughters . . one of my neighbors is a CI surgeon whose goal is to bring a CI center to the Tri-Cities area . . . talk about feeling at home so soon!
Was the move to Tennessee hassle-free !? !? ! Oh no ! ! ! But my willingness to admit to my hearing loss immediately made it easier for neighbors, builders, salespeople, to accept and understand my difficulties, and they all gave me that extra patience that’s so important to all of us to communicate effectively.
Are there any downsides? Yes . . being so far away from friends in Augusta and Atlanta . . but then there’s always email, and that’s a great source of communication for me! So my friends, please stay in touch! My email address is LouiseSkalko@cs.com
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 Everyone has a cell phone! Nucleus recipients want them, too… but we don’t always know what to look for. No matter where you are, it seems like everyone has a cell phone. Cell phones help us stay connected to our friends and family, and they can help us compete in the business world.
Of the 500 or so questions we receive through the Cochlear Website each month, a good percentage of them are from Nucleus users looking for compatible cell phones. We want the same convenience of cellular features that others enjoy in their professional and personal lives. Today’s cell phones are packed with features. New cell phone models are introduced daily that include music and video players, organizers (PDAs) and Bluetooth®. Products for those with hearing loss.
Here is a typical cell phone question sent in by Jerry R. “I travel for my job and frequently need to use my cell phone while driving or when I am running to catch a flight. I need a good “hands free” option but I don’t know what to look for. My cell phone also has Bluetooth capability. Are there any affordable Bluetooth accessories that would work for me? I use the Nucleus ESPrit 3G processor but I will soon be upgrading to the Nucleus Freedom. What are my options?”
Well, Jerry, the choices can be overwhelming; especially for those of us who aren’t sure which products will be compatible with our cochlear implants while offering sufficient sound quality.
There are many new cellular accessories on the market that work in conjunction with the telecoil feature. You have access to a telecoil on the ESPrit 3G, as you also will on the Freedom processor. By switching to telecoil, the telecoil-enabled accessory delivers the sound from the phone or other audio device to your processor by magnetic induction.
There are two main types of telecoil-enabled accessories - silhouettes and neckloops. These accessories have a cable and a plug to fit your cell phone’s headset jack. A silhouette is a small earpiece that is placed next to the processor’s telecoil. The neckloop is simply placed around the shoulders. When the telecoil is activated, each of these devices delivers the sound from the phone directly through the telecoil into the cochlear implant.
As an added bonus, silhouettes and neckloops aren’t just for cell phones! They also work with most cordless landline telephones or any phone with a “headset jack”. Many of the products available can be converted with a plug adapter for use with audio players such as CD or MP3 players such as Ipod. A few months ago, I bought a new cell phone that has Bluetooth. I tried several commercial Bluetooth headsets that belong to friends and coworkers and was surprised to learn that some are telecoil compatible. The Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset worked well with the telecoil and I purchased that product for my own use. Other Bluetooth accessories that work with the Nucleus cochlear implant system are Phonak SmartLink and Starkey ELI.
View the
following for more information:
One of the programs on my ESPrit 3G has 100% telecoil so when I test products for telecoil compatibility I use that setting as I know I am not hearing through the microphone. My other program has the telecoil programmed to mix with the microphone. I use that program most often when I use my cell phone so I can hear my own voice. Having both 100% telecoil, and telecoil with microphone mixing, gives me the most options for testing devices for telecoil compatibility while being able to use my phone in a variety of environments. For those who wish to purchase a new cell phone, there is good news. In the U.S., the FCC now requires that 25% of handsets be “hearing aid” compatible and this label applies to cochlear implants as well.
There are two types of ratings: M rating and T ratings.
The M rating evaluated phones with the hearing device in microphone mode and the T rating evaluated phones with the hearing device in the telecoil mode. Phones that have met the ANSI standard for compatibility are labeled with ratings such as M3, M4 or T3, T4. Many cellular providers include these ratings in the details about the handset in their stores or on their Websites.
What about a Pre-paid Cellular Plan?
Individuals who only want a phone for occasional use might consider a pre-paid or “pay-as-you-go” plan instead! All of the major cellular providers offer this service. You can go to the providers’ Websites for more details about the phones they offer.
Just like contract plans, we recommend that you go to the providers’ retail stores and test the phones available under these plans. If you are tempted to purchase a phone through a discount store, it might not work well once you have it activated. Be sure you ask about the return policy before purchasing a phone that can’t be tested first.
Pre-paid plans are very simple. Once the phone is selected, cellular minutes can be purchased in various amounts. Many providers offer phone cards that can be purchased in a variety of locations such as grocery stores. When you run out of minutes, you can simply purchase another phone card. Pre-paid plans can be an affordable way to have the convenience of a cell phone without a long-term commitment. Phone models are available that offer many of the same features as those available with contract plans such as voice mail and long distance calling. Many phone models also have a standard headset jack so they are compatible with the accessories like silhouettes and neckloops that are discussed above. If you want to stay in touch wherever you go, a cell phone could be just what you need!
Visit our
Support Center for more topics |
| If you would like to try out all of the latest Cochlear products and gadgets, like cellular accessories (including activated cell phones) plan to join us at the Cochlear Celebration in San Antonio in February. Our EXPO will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2007. |
Happy Holidays
from the Cochlear Family
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OPEN CAPTION FEATURES
REGAL CINEMAS IN ATLANTA, AUGUSTA, BUFORD, CHAMBLEE, DOUGLASVILLE AND MACON
Here are the next few open caption features scheduled for our Regal Cinema theatres in downtown Atlanta, Augusta, Buford, Chamblee, Douglasville and Macon:
December 15th thru 18 - Blood Diamond
December 19th thru 21st - Unaccompanied Minors
December 22nd thru 25th - The Holiday.
As always, our web-site, www.REGmovies.com, has a complete and updated list of Regal theatres across the country which offer films in the open caption format. As you may have noticed, the schedules occasionally have last minute changes.
Thanks.
Kenny Ernstes
Atlanta District Promotions Coordinator, Regal Entertainment Group
(404) 347-8149 phone, (404) 347-9895 fax
IN-SIGHT CINEMA LISTINGS
InSight Cinema is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the big screen movie-going experience to the 30 million deaf and hard-of hearing (DHH) and English-as-a-second language (ESL) audiences in the U. S. Please also visit their website for additional listings:
http://www.insightcinema.org/links.html
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ONE-TIME INCOME TAX CREDIT
Access the following site for information on a one-time income tax credit for federal excise tax overpayment: http://www.snopes.com/business/taxes/excise. The credit is from $30 to $60 and is taken on line 71 of Form 1040.
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2006 GPCIA Board of Directors
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Officers |
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President |
Richard M. Bowman |
rbowman@alltel.net |
706-278-1472 |
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Vice President |
Fred Pryor |
fredhpryor@earthlink.net |
770-491-0405 |
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Secretary & Treasurer |
Debbie Vives |
spvives@frontiernet.net |
912-489-3160 |
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Assistant Secretary |
Glynis Henderson |
hondorama@mindspring.com |
770-529-9893 |
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Board Members |
Connie Stratigos |
cs121033@juno..com |
770-992-9707 |
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Lamar F. Landers |
Lamar_Dot@alltel.net |
706-648-6146 |
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Denice Wetzel |
dmwetzel@msn.com |
770-394-6605 |
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Dora Sweigart |
sweiga@bellsouth.net |
678-354-5138 |
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Jimmy Shippy |
shippyj@bellsouth.net |
770-792-8094 |
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James Underwood |
ujimmy@att.net |
770-942-4596 |
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Al Laframboise |
a.laframboise@comcast.net |
423-434-2395 |
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Jimmy Mobley |
jm3060@charter.net |
864-292-3060 |
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Advisors |
Cindy Gary |
earclinic@mindspring.com |
770-673-0436 |
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garyfam@mindspring.com |
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Ellen Estes |
eestees@atlspsch.org |
770-419-1593 |
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Jolie Fainberg |
jolie.fainberg@choa.org |
404-785-8214 |