A hearing aid, comprising: a microphone for converting an audio input into a first input signal; a telecoil for converting a time-varying electromagnetic field sensed by the telecoil into a second input signal; a digital signal processor for processing the first input signal, the second input signal, or a combination thereof into an output signal in a manner that compensates for the patient's hearing deficit; an audio amplifier and speaker for converting the output signal into an audio output; and a triaxial magnetometer comprising three orthogonally oriented sensor elements (185a, 185b, 185c) for measuring a magnetic field along three orthogonal axes and sending signals corresponding thereto to the DSP; wherein: the triaxial magnetometer has a sensitivity for detecting a magnetic field of 6 x 10 -5 Tesla (0.6 Gauss) corresponding to the earth's magnetic field or greater; the DSP is configured to use the second input signal generated by the telecoil for producing the output signal when a magnetic field produced by a magnet of a telephone speaker is above a specified threshold as measured by the triaxial magnetometer; and the DSP is programmed to use the signals from the triaxial magnetometer to detect a unique motion of a wearer holding the hearing aid moving the hearing aid through the earth's magnetic field space to enable the hearing aid to be turned on. a microphone for converting an audio input into a first input signal; a telecoil for converting a time-varying electromagnetic field sensed by the telecoil into a second input signal; a digital signal processor for processing the first input signal, the second input signal, or a combination thereof into an output signal in a manner that compensates for the patient's hearing deficit; an audio amplifier and speaker for converting the output signal into an audio output; and a triaxial magnetometer comprising three orthogonally oriented sensor elements (185a, 185b, 185c) for measuring a magnetic field along three orthogonal axes and sending signals corresponding thereto to the DSP; wherein: the triaxial magnetometer has a sensitivity for detecting a magnetic field of 6 x 10 -5 Tesla (0.6 Gauss) corresponding to the earth's magnetic field or greater; the DSP is configured to use the second input signal generated by the telecoil for producing the output signal when a magnetic field produced by a magnet of a telephone speaker is above a specified threshold as measured by the triaxial magnetometer; and the DSP is programmed to use the signals from the triaxial magnetometer to detect a unique motion of a wearer holding the hearing aid moving the hearing aid through the earth's magnetic field space to enable the hearing aid to be turned on. the triaxial magnetometer has a sensitivity for detecting a magnetic field of 6 x 10 -5 Tesla (0.6 Gauss) corresponding to the earth's magnetic field or greater; the DSP is configured to use the second input signal generated by the telecoil for producing the output signal when a magnetic field produced by a magnet of a telephone speaker is above a specified threshold as measured by the triaxial magnetometer; and the DSP is programmed to use the signals from the triaxial magnetometer to detect a unique motion of a wearer holding the hearing aid moving the hearing aid through the earth's magnetic field space to enable the hearing aid to be turned on.