HLAA Albany Chapter Fall walk at Lions Park, Niskayuna along the Mohawk River on a beautiful October morning. 10 walkers plus one stopping for a hello and one doggy companion, Ruthie.

On May 18 an enthusiastic group met at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar to explore a few trails with interesting flowers and plants, trees, beaver workings, frogs, a turtle, many birds, ponds and a meandering stream. We practiced bird and plant ID using phone apps Merlin Bird ID and iNaturalist. The outing began with a very tolerant frog posed at the pond and finding a lucky 4-leaf clover! The cool day kept the biting bugs away. Indoor exhibits were most interesting, especially the visible beehive buzzing with bees entering from the outdoors and the resident owl. A nesting robin was our picnic area companion. We even problem solved some tech issues related to hearing assistance.

A medical team from Albany Medical Center Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) delivered an update of services and technology related to evaluation, placement and treatment of severe hearing loss with Cochlear Implant (CI) procedures. Surgeons Nathan Tu, MD and Christine Kim, MD and Audiologist Lisa Artino, AuD, using Power Point along with lecture, display of devices and informational brochures thoroughly summarized current status and also touched upon some anticipated future developments. The well-attended presentation, held at the Colonie Library, ended with Q and A.

They described selection of candidates with evaluations generally covered by health insurance plans. CI recipients range in age from less than one year to over 90. Complications are rare.

The implant consists of a portion that is surgically placed under the skin and an external portion that sits behind the ear. Now some CI devices have single unit microphone/processors placed magnetically over the implant, rather than utilizing a separate attached “ear hook” piece. There are various types of implant procedures depending upon client needs.

They explained that use of CI does not “correct” a hearing loss but enables sound to be detected via a direct auditory nerve pathway. The implant is not “surgery within the brain” but is placed more superficially. Candidates now may include those with one-sided hearing loss or effective use of a hearing aid in the opposite ear. Today’s CI’s do not prevent use of MRI testing. The level of hearing success with CI can vary greatly among recipients, generally improving communication markedly, but is not anticipated to restore full hearing capability. Sounds are different than normal hearing and generally take time and practice for the CI user to learn to benefit fully with assistance and training by Audiology specialists. Music qualities may be difficult for CI users to fully discern as it presents more complex sound features than speech. Listening to formerly familiar music may be the most satisfying.

Our Chapter has several members with cochlear implants. One long-time CI user described to the group how CI has been “life-changing” in a very positive way.

HLAA members set up the meeting room with a temporary “hearing loop” assistive listening system which enabled those in the audience with hearing loss to access intelligible sound either directly to their hearing aids (with telecoil capability) or via our loaned headphone receivers.

The Chapter is grateful to the presenters for sharing their time and knowledge with our group.

More information about their CI services at Albany Medical Center is available through https://www.albanymed.org/specialty/diagnostic-and-therapeutic-services/