CIICA CONVERSATION: ADULTS WITH CI – WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN BEFORE CI?

TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2024

Our eighth CIICA Conversation on the theme of Person Centred CI services: What do you wish you had known before CI?

This question was one asked on the Talking Wall at our recent CI Advocacy in Action Conference in

Brussels.

This Conversation was full and lively with 22 attendees from 11 countries, including 15 CI users.

The issues brought up in this wide ranging conversation were fascinating as usual and the major issues were:

Several participants would have had their CI many years earlier with the right information
The peer group is very important in providing information and support during the journey
Participants wanted more information about the technology
They recognised the importance of programming their devices and having a relationship with their audiologist
They valued rehabilitation, including music, and advised “sticking with it”
They wanted rehabilitation to include counselling support
The impact of CI and the brain shouldn’t be underestimated.

No one warns you that actually the audiologist that does your mapping is really, really important.

Led by Kris English and CI users, Michelle Frisbie (USA) and Rikie Boevink (Netherlands).

If you would like to see the summaries of the other conversations do go to Summaries of our CONVERSATIONS – CIICA (ciicanet.org)