Hear, Here

This is going to be a much more personal, passionate post than past blog entries. The issues discussed below are obstacles I face everyday as a Doctor of Audiology and they aren't solved by slapping a widget on someone's ear and yelling "next!". I hope you will stick with me through it and return frequently for other entries regarding hearing healthcare. I fit numerous sets of hearing aids each week. Most of them on new users who have never worn hearing aids before. I always encourage my patients to bring someone with them to this visit. I find people respond better when they have a familiar voice to hear first through their hearing aid versus MY voice that they may not be familiar with beyond our first visit at their hearing test and subsequent hearing aid evaluation. I find that most people do not bring a communication partner with them. Whether is is because their adult children don't live here or are at work and can't break away or because they are tr...

Today I had the pleasure of seeing a patient who I've been treating for about three years. What originally brought her in was difficulty hearing her family and customers after the death of her husband. He husband was the one that typically dealt with travelers visiting their business. After his death, she had to take on more of an active role and found herself struggling to hear, interact, and conduct basic business. She also noticed she hadn't been hearing her family as well. She had been so busy taking care of her ailing husband, that she'd let her own health needs slide, including her hearing. She has been successfully wearing hearing aids since she took that important first step and had her hearing tested and chose to be fit with hearing aids. She has been diligent in getting regular cleanings from our office and well as maintaining them at home. Her most recent hearing test is less than a year old and the hearing aids were programmed to the test at the time. So why d...