A quick search on Google of “what hearing aids are best?” can bombard you with confusing information. Not to mention the unsolicited advertisements that will follow on any social media platform and websites you visit thereafter. So…I am sure you asking yourself what is best, what do I need, why do hearing aids cost so much, where should I go to get a hearing aid, and can I just do it online? These are just a few questions that come to mind when considering all the options.
While I fully admit to searching Dr. Google at times myself, I will refer to my actual physician for the accurate answers to my health-related questions. When facing the many questions of hearing healthcare, an Audiologist should be the number one source of information for your hearing related questions. With links to many other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and dementia; hearing loss is not something that should be self-treated. Medical research has shown untreated hearing loss has been linked to cognitive decline. In fact, according to the Lancet Commission, treating hearing loss is the number one most modifiable lifestyle factor for slowing down dementia.
In addition to the Dr. Google degrees we have all liberally granted ourselves, the landscape of the medical field has changed dramatically over the years. Everyone has experienced long wait times at their physician’s office or called their physician’s office with questions – only to wait days for a returned call. Dr. Susan Timna and I recently founded Expert Hearing as a solution to help navigate the ever-changing hearing healthcare field and offer a personalized approach to all the daunting choices a patient now faces. As stated in the initial paragraph, there are numerous questions as you begin your journey towards better hearing. While hearing tests are important, the specific listening needs of each patient varies greatly. Through specialized speech in noise testing, video otoscopy, and even in home communication assessments, we can determine the specific areas of concern and make a recommendation specific to each patient.
The selection of the hearing devices is only the beginning of your hearing journey. The next step is setting up the technology to work for the patient’s unique hearing needs. Expert Hearing offers a variety of concierge options and/or exceptional in-office care. With our unparalleled concierge model, we can provide hearing healthcare in a unique way. One major difference is the option of in-home communication assessments which allows the Audiologist to assess the patient’s listening needs in their specific environments. In over 15 years of practicing Audiology, many of my patients comment that they hear well in my office but struggle to hear when they get home. By visiting the patient’s home setting, we can assess the certain areas of concern for each patient. A couple of examples include if a patient struggles to hear their television clearly or perhaps, they are unable to hear their spouse from the kitchen. We can help program the patient’s devices in those specific settings.
Hearing health care is not one size fits all and we are here to help our patients find the “size” that fits them best. We guide our patients through the complicated decisions of hearing technology then spend time making these devices adjusted to the prescription and settings that will help the individual patient. Everyone deserves premium care; the best part is these services do not have to be overpriced. So even if you choose to search Google – make sure you reach out to the Experts to help guide you through your hearing healthcare journey!
