Hear, Here

"Do I need Bluetooth connectivity?"

2011-08-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

I am asked this question several times a week.

I think today's modern, digital, connected hearing aids are amazing. I have seen lives transformed by new hearing aids. But as far as deciding who needs Bluetooth enabled aids and who doesn't is not always so black and white.

Some people don't even know what "Bluetooth" is, but when you explain it to them, they love the idea behind it. Here are some suggestions for whether or not Bluetooth technology in your hearing aids is "needed":

Do you frequently talk on the phone, especially in the car? If so, Bluetooth technology can act as a "hands-free" system which, in some states, is required to legally talk on a cell phone while driving.

Do you like to listen to music through an iPod or other MP3 player but don't because of your hearing aids or fear you won't be able to if you get hearing aids?

Do you use Bluetooth technology with your other high-tech devices, such as laptops, televisions, etc.? It would only make sense that you would carry this technology over to something as important as your hearing aids.

Do you watch TV? It sounds like a silly question, but if you watch TV and wear hearing aids, even with high-end technology, you will likely still struggle to hear certain people and programs on television. Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids can allow you to use devices such as the GN ReSound Unite system www.gnresound.com/unite to wirelessly stream television to your hearing aids for optimal TV-watching, all without disturbing others.

Many of my patients, already in sticker-shock from the cost of hearing aids, balk at the idea of spending more money for Bluetooth technology. This is understandable, and certainly not for every hearing aid wearer. Communicate your concerns with your Audiologist. Most Audiologists got into this profession to help people. This technology clearly helps people.

Please do not hesistate to contact me with any questions you may have about Bluetooth technology. if I don't know the answer, I will certainly find someone who does know.

Fill in the blanks

2011-08-19T11:58:00.001-07:00

I have a big mouth. I'm often asked by my patients if I have a hearing loss and my response is always the same, "no, I just have a big mouth." Some laugh, some back-pedal saying, "no, that's not what I meant." but I'm not offended. If I didn't speak loudly and clearly, I would spend the better part of my day repeating myself.

Most of my patients don't have a hard time hearing and understanding me. I'm blessed to have normal hearing and I do all I can to protect it. Despite my normal hearing, I've had the opportunity to experience hearing loss and though it was temporary and I knew it, it was an eye-opening experience.

Back in 2000, I was a first-year grad student at the University of North Texas. That year was a huge year in my life and I went into that experience with a lot of mixed emotions: fear, gusto, excitement, pride. I can recall very clear, now eleven years ago, sitting in my very first graduate level class and seeing a note on the board that instructed everyone to take a pair of earplugs from the box on the table, put them in, and wait for our instructors arrival. She came in a short while later, and, with earplugs in our ears, we had to listen to most of her lecture with earplugs, which made things muffled, unclear, hard to understand. It was eye-opening. The material was unfamilar, the speaker too. We had a lot riding on what she said--it was our FIRST class. And, though it was mild and temporary, it gave me a great appreciation for a taste of what my patients would experience on a daily basis.

I try very hard to sympathize with my patients, but I truly cannot fully grasp what they go through with a hearing loss. The closest thing I can compare it to is vision. I have great hearing, but I have terrible vision, and it can be terrifying at times when I don't have my glasses or contacts in. But hearing and vision, though both important senses, are not the same thing.

See if you can make sense of this phrase:

_ally _ell_ _ea_hell_ by th_ _ea__ore

Hard isn't it?

Without vital letters and sounds, it becomes a garbled mess, indistinct, unclear, crazy babble.

However, this is similar to what someone with a high-frequency hearing loss hears. Hears but doesn't understand. Frequently mis-understands what is being said. Because for most people who have a hearing loss, it isn't the hearing they've lost, rather the clarity of the words. Things are as clear, sharp, bright as they should be. Things may sound dull and muffled. It may sound like the person is mumbling. Add a little bit of background noise and WHOA! Its a jumbled mess of sounds that don't make sense. "Fifteen" may sound like "Fifty", which is no big tragedy if we're talking about cents, but it becomes a really big deal if we're talking 15 million versus 50 million, which is what happened to a patient who happens to be a real estate developer and really almost flubbed a deal due to that misunderstanding!

So, you're probably wondering, "so what's that phrase up there?" Here it is:

Sally sells seashells by the seashore

See! It makes much more sense when you have all the components! And for someone with a high-frequency hearing loss, the first example of the phrase may be what they hear, which is why you may get a weird answer or a puzzled look, because the first phrase clearly doesn't make sense!

If someone you know talks too loud, frequently misunderstands the conversation (especially in noise), has the TV or radio too loud, asks people to repeat themselves, or tells others they are 'mumbling', a hearing test may be needed. It doesn't hurt, takes only about 20 minutes, and is covered by most insurers. With the holidays approaching, now is the perfect time to get help so the sounds of the season can be heard and understood! Call us today to schedule your appointment. We'd love to help.

An Important (and expensive!) Lesson

2011-08-16T16:48:00.001-07:00

In 2006, a patient came in and bought A hearing aid. He needed two, but thought he could 'get by' with one. It was a small, receiver-in-the-ear style, small and discreet for this attractive young business man.

Within two months of fitting him, he called me, telling me his hearing aid had fallen off his ear and down a hole at a job site. He was upset, but paid his loss/damage deductible, was fit a few days later with the replacement aid and went on his merry way. Though I can't guarantee it, I'm fairly certain I encouraged him to purchase at least a supplemental loss/damage warranty through a company like ESCO or Discovery, as I do each time a patient has to use their loss/damage warranty.

Since that time, our office contacted him several times regarding adding the second aid as well as updating his hearing test. We never heard from him, until today. He called to ask about 'insurance' on his hearing aid. I remembered this patient (I usually do) and relayed the story to our receptionist, Holly. I picked up the phone and spoke to him and verified with him that we had indeed replaced his hearing aid shortly after he was initially fit. I apologized but explained that once a manufacturer replaces an aid once, the only warranty the aid has is repair and if its lost or damaged beyond repair a second time, they will have to purchase an aid at full replacement cost, which in his case was $1795.00.

However, we always try to help patients when we can and today was no exception. The aid he purchased in 2006 has since been replaced with a 2nd generation model and I told him we could replace the aid for $1500.00. This is the cost of the device plus a nominal fee to fit the aid, as we are moving towards an unbundled format.

He supposed to call tomorrow once he got back in the office and was in front of his calendar to schedule a hearing test, as he said he wasn't hearing as clearly as he once did. We'll do a hearing test and hopefully convince him to be fit in both ears this time around.

The moral of the story? If your aids have to be replaced under the loss/damage warranty, spend the couple hundred dollars to insure them through an outside company. Although he would've likely paid about $200 a year, it would've been far less expensive to insure it than it will be to replace it, a second time!

We use two warranty companies at Coastal Audiology and the levels of coverage are similar with each having their own pros and cons. We're always happy to discuss your options and assist you at making the most cost-effective and beneficial choice for you.

Shaking things up a. Bit...

2011-08-08T18:50:00.001-07:00

Several years ago, we tried giving our patients a choice with respect to what services they purchased with their hearing aid purchase. They could purchase the traditional way, or with all their services bundled together, or unbundled, which they purchased just their devices and a few follow-up visits. While the unbundled approach wasn't unpopular, it wasn't exactly popular.
Recently, some well-respected national organizations have gotten behind the movement of unbundling hearing aid purchases to make hearing healthcare more affordable for everyone. This pleases me tremendously since earlier this summer, we began the arduous process of moving to an unbundled only approach to fitting hearing aids as opposed to giving patients the choice.

This is such a foreign concept, but one I feel will ultimately only benefit patients as well as the profession. Patients will pay only for services they use, as they use them, which is fair. Why should someone who comes in 20 times a year pay the same as someone who comes in 4 times a year?

We always welcome feedback and I look forward to hearing what people have to say about this.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T07:18:00.000-08:00

I'm ashamed to admit that I've committed a blogging sin-I haven't kept up with it!

I was determined when I started this blog that I would be better and would update it at least once a week. Well, I have failed at that, but here we are at the precipice of a new year and I am determined to use this blog more effectively.

Some highlights first:

We have a new receptionist. Her name is Anna. She has been with us for about 3 months now. When you call in, she will likely be the one you speak with. Its important for patients to understand that if they need to see me, its best to schedule with Anna. I certainly don't mind speaking to patients, but if ultimately it results in an appointment, Anna is best able to assist you immediately as her schedule is always up where I am running to and fro! Like any new employee, Anna is learning. Please give her the courtesy to help her learn by giving her the chance to answer questions for you.

We often get questions about our office hours. We are open to see patients in the office 3 1/2 days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and half days on Wednesdays. Mondays and Wednesday afternoons, we see patients outside our office-home bound patients, those in nursing and assisted living, as well as members of our military community at a clinic near Ft. Stewart. We realize these office hours may not be convenient for everyone and are hopeful that, as our business grows, we can staff our office 5 full days a week to accomodate most everyone. Until then, we do our best to be flexible and if you have a special circumstance, just ask! We will do our best to work with you.

We'd also like to take this opportunity to introduce our Battery Club. Most every patient who is prescribed and fit with amplification through Coastal Audiology has at least a 3 year supply of batteries included with their purchase. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Our battery club allows patients to purchase the same high-quality Rayovac batteries at a 25% savings off our normal prices and are competitively priced with batteries that can be found in major retialers. If you would like more information about our battery club, please visit our website on the battery club tab or call our office. We have brochures we can send you with details as well.

Happy New Year! We have been serving patients locally for 6 1/2 years and are hopeful 2011 will be our best year yet!

Happy Hearing!

Dr.Dawn H. MacMillan, Audiologist

It's official!

2010-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's official! Later this Spring, we'll be moving to a larger, more visible location. We have been at our current location for over 5 years, but we have outgrown it. Truthfully, we should've moved two years ago, but at that time, we could not find a suitable location. We will still be in Pooler, and just as eay (if not easier) for you to get to.

Over the next few months, we'll be trying to work with the owners to get it ready for us. When it is fully ready, we'll move in. Most likely, we'll be open at one location on Friday and at the new location on Monday, but we will do our best to let everyone know with plenty of advanced warning.

We look forward to this wonderful opportunity to grow Coastal Audiology to new heights. It has been a labor of love for over 5 years and I look forward to many more wonderful years.

Financial Assistance Resources for Hearing aids

2010-02-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I learned that the Better Hearing Institute has released their "Guide to Financial Assistance with Hearing Aids". I have made this available on our website for you. Follow this link and you can download a FREE copy for yourself:

http://www.coastalaudiology.com/Free_Resources.php

I have skimmed this guide and it does have a wealth of resources. Without going into great detail, I know that Coastal Audiology participates with the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation (applications can be found on our website), AUDIENT, and Starkey's HEARNOW program.

Additionally, we don't want price to stand in the way of Better Hearing. We do have programs within our own office that, while they are paying programs, may help you ge the same technology you need and deserve, at a significant savings.

When coming in for a hearing aid evaluation, be up front with us. If cost is your number one concern, please voice that concern so we can find an option that is audiologically appropriate while also keeping your budget in mind.

Rejuvenation!

2010-02-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

After being away from the blog for quite some time, I am back, and rejuvenated! I have just returned from a conference and have great information to share with you.

As always, I have learned great information about new hearing devices that are currently available and what is on the horizon. I'm very excited about the Unitron Fuse line of instruments. Traditionally, when a new niche product is released, it is only available in premium level technology. The Fuse is available in 3 technology levels: premium, advanced, and mid-level! I have a dummy shell and brochures I'd love to share with you!
Click the link below to watch a video about the Fuse. While you're there, subscribe to my YouTube Channel, DrDawnMacMillan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRMuoPL1tUk

NoizFree Bluetooth Beetle offers hands-free cell phone use...

2009-06-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

I fit premium digital, open-fit, Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids on a family member a little over 4 years ago. At the time, her hearing aids were the best technology available and she has done very well with them. She inquired in the beginning of the year if it was time to upgrade her hearing aids. Seeing as how she had chosen premium technology (as recommended) when she was originally fit, they were still working well, her hearing was stable, and she had had no problems with them, I felt upgrading them was not going to give her much better function over what she was currently experiencing, so I advised she hold off for a year or two.

I recently was introduced to a device that allows my family member to use her existing hearing aids as a Bluetooth-compatible headset, using her existing hearing aids with a t-coil (also known as a telecoil, or telephone switch). This device is called the NoizFree Bluetooth Beetle. By 'pairing' her cell phone (which is a relatively basic, 3-year old LG cell phone) with the Bluetooth Beetle and utilizing her t-coil in her hearing aids, she has a great hands-free listening system which she is able to hearing through either one or both her hearing aids, whichever she chooses. It is a fairly discreet system, as compared to the large, over-the-ear, blue, flashing devices more common in Bluetooth headsets. Better yet, for around $175, she has a system that works with her hearing aids, all without having to buy new hearing aids right now.

Not being very tech-y, she had to spend a day or so practicing with it, but now, she is a pro! It's easy to use. I would say that the average person that can scroll through the menu options on their cell phones can probably use the Beetle without any trouble at all. It works with any t-coil enabled hearing aid(s) and can be paired to any cell phone with Bluetooth capability, which most are anyway. We are currently looking at options for her to use her iPod and other devices. Until then, she has been thrilled to use her cell-phone hands free (and I'm sure the other drivers are appreciative, too!)

For more information, please contact me. I'd love to help you utilize your hearing aids to their fullest with the addition of this neat little accessory. If you're unsure if your hearing aid has a t-coil, just ask-we'd be glad to take a look and let you know.

A new thing for Coastal Audiology, Inc.

2009-06-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have blogged in the past, but not for my business. This blog is a new thing for me. I'm hoping to let current and prospective patients know about audiology and hearing related topics via this blog. I encourage comments and hope you find the information useful. If you have tips or suggestions, please do not hesitate to let me know. Please email me at my work address: dawn@coastalaudiology.com

Please check back soon for the official first 'real' entry!