Three Daily Routines for Older Cochlear Implant Users

There are many ways you can add auditory training to activities you enjoy doing and routines you do throughout the day as a CI user. You won’t even realize you’re doing auditory rehabilitation.

Here are three ways you can add cochlear implant auditory training to your daily routines. By linking training to everyday tasks, hardly a day will go by without a simple opportunity for you to improve your listening skills. Taking steps towards your best hearing can be easy.

1. Writing the Shopping List

Ask a family member to list the items for you to add to the shopping list. If this is too easy, ask them to say the item in a phrase or in a sentence with added descriptive words or quantities. For example:

• “We need crunchy red apples.”
• “Add two packets of grated cheddar cheese to the list.”

In this video, John shows us how he does this activity over the phone with his wife.

2. Reading the Newspaper

Ask a family member or a friend to read aloud an interesting article from the newspaper or one of your favorite magazines.

• Level 1: Follow along by looking at the text while they read. You can also do this activity by listening to an audiobook while reading along in the print version. That means you can practice on your own too. In this video, Mary-Jane shows us how she uses audiobooks to train her listening skills.

• Level 2: Listen as your family member or friend reads, but don’t look at the text. Then have them pause at different times throughout the article, sometimes in the middle of a sentence. Repeat back to them the last word they said, and have them correct you if you were wrong.
• Level 3: Listen as they read without looking at the text. Have them ask you questions about the article. Or summarize the article to them aloud to check your understanding.

3. Talking Walks

Join a family member or friend on a walk. While walking, take turns describing what you see or hear. Repeat what they described back to your walking buddy.

For example:

• “I think I hear baby sparrows” – “I can hear the baby birds too.”
• “I saw fresh doughnuts in the window.” – “Which bakery were the doughnuts at?”
• “I saw a man with a strange hat.” – “I saw the man with the funny hat too.”

Be creative! Hearing implant auditory training can be woven into almost any activity by asking a family member or friend to add spoken language to the activity for you to follow along with and respond to. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or ask questions. And be sure to have fun as you make your way along your hearing journey.