When we first borrowed a hearing aid from the hospital, the audiologist gave us a safety line. A fishing line attaching the hearing aid to a clip, which I clipped on my daughter’s shirt. After about a month, my daughter broke the string, trying to detach the clip from her shirt.
My solution was to make my own safety line. So I went to the craft store and bought stretchy string, crimping beads, lobster claw, pacifier clips.
This 1mm string is a little thick, so I had to cut it to a point at the end to tread it through the slit in the Ponto. Alternatively, use 0.7-0.8 mm string, which is easier to fit through the slot on the hearing aid, but also easier for children to break the string.
Recently, I got S Hooks from The Hear Clip. So now I attach a S Hook to the Baha/Ponto and use a lobster claps to attach string to the S Hook. This way I can change the colorful covers on my daughter’s Ponto, without re-making the whole safety line.
#1 – Basic Safety Line Attached to Clip
One end of the string is attached to a clip to clip onto shirt. The other end can be attached to the slot on the hearing aid, or attach to a Lobster Clasp to the string to clip onto an S Hook on the Baha/Ponto.
#2 – Safety Line Attached to Clip & Connector
Since we switched to using the Button Block Connector with custom softbands, might as well attach everything. I tied the string around an o-ring which fits around the Connector. You could also use a crimping bead to make a loop in the string to put around the Connector.
This way if the hearing aid comes off the Connector, it doesn’t swing far. If the string gets pulled, it tugs the Connector, rather than pull the hearing aid off of her headband.
#3 – Short Safety Line Attached to Connector
Eventually my daughter got a 2nd Ponto hearing aid. Bilateral safety lines attached to her shirt, sounds like a giant strangulation hazard to me. So I made a short safety line for her second hearing aid.
One end is attached to the hearing aid. At the other end, I made a loop to attach the string to the Connector.
That way if the hearing aid comes off the Connector, it doesn’t swing far. If the string gets pulled, it tugs the Connector, rather than pull the hearing aid off of her headband.
My daughter likes to take her headband off all by herself. Then she tugs hard on the string to detach the clip from her shirt. She eventually broke the clip. So now she has two short safety lines attaching her Pontos to the Connectors.
#4 – Tether Bilateral hearing aids to each other
Cut a stretchy string long enough to go from one Baha to the other, along the hair-line. Loose enough to not tug on the hearing aid, but not so loose that it gets snagged. You could loop the string around the softband if you want.
#5 – Tether Bilateral Hearing Aids to each other and a clip
Attach the middle of the string to a clip and either end to a hearing aid.
Attach the clip to the softband or to the back of the shirt.
If you have your Baha/Ponto on an abutment, rather than a softband, make the strings a bit longer and clip the clip to your shirt.
#6 – Tether Hearing Aids to barrette or hair clip
Another great option is to attach the Safety Line is to use a barrette or hair clip.
Here’s a video with some safety line ideas and inspiration for you 🙂
I have an on-going album of photos and ideas on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheBahaMama/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2709708179115928
Here are some helpful links:
- Stretchy String – 1 mm – 5 yards
- Stretchy String – 0.8 mm – 5 yards
- Crimp Beads 2mm – 3mm (inside diameter)
- Clear Plastic Pacifier Clips – set of 10
- Colorful plastic Pacifier Clips – set of 10
- Metal Suspender Clips – set of 5
- Metal Round Suspender Clips – set of 10
- Save time and money by purchasing a DIY Safety Line Sampler Kit:
What is your favorite way to teether your hearing aids? I would love to hear your ideas!
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