Hearing Loss is Invisible
Did you know that your family and friends are actually more likely to notice if you have a mild hearing loss than you are? They are the ones that notice that you’re asking them to repeat themselves – maybe a lot! If this sounds like your situation, it might be time to consider finding out more about whether you do have hearing loss.
When it comes to your hearing health, keep in mind the following points. These are things to look out for when searching for a great audiologist/hearing provider and gold-standard service!
So, how do you find a hearing care provider that will make you feel heard and knows what they are doing?
How to find a hearing care provider:
Gold Standard Hearing Health Providers
1. Are comprehensive in their testing.
This means that you aren’t doing a 15-minute in-and-out session. Rather, a great provider is thorough and takes the time to understand you as a person and what is important to your lifestyle. Your hearing provider should explain to you your hearing abilities and clearly explain the rationale behind their recommendations – without you having to ask.
2. Include your family or at least your partner in the appointment (two heads are always better than one!).
A great provider welcomes your family into the clinic. When a family member comes with you, you aren’t stuck trying to re-explain everything when you get home. Your family may also be able to provide additional information that you are not able to. It also gives them the opportunity to ask their own questions, which might help you make a more informed decision.
3. Will help you understand which hearing device and strategies will be the most helpful to you – if any!
A great provider will educate you about the pros and cons of different devices. Instead of only talking about hearing aids, your provider should also discuss with you communication skills that will help you hear and understand the world around you.
4. Help you get the most out of your devices, if you end up with them.
Like mobile phones, hearing aid technology has advanced significantly over the past few years. Devices today are smaller, sleeker and most importantly, can be tailored to match your exact hearing, so you can amplify exactly what you need. An outstanding hearing provider will have time for your questions and step you through everything you need to know about your hearing aids, so you hit the ground running.
5. Provide continual ongoing support and advice throughout the lifetime of your hearing devices.
This means they are committed to checking in with you annually whether it be to re-check your hearing, make adjustments to your devices or re-counsel you about how to get the most out of them. After-care is often the most important part of what makes or breaks a “good service”.
Nowadays hearing clinics are so easily accessible, chances are if you do a google search you will find many in your area that you didn’t even know existed.
Where possible, we always recommend seeing an independent hearing professional. The advantage of this is that they are not locked into a particular hearing aid manufacturer, so they have the freedom to offer you a range of different products, eliminating any biases. The truth is, what brand of device that works for one person, may not be as beneficial to the next person depending on their individual needs and goals. You may also have done your own prior research and want a particular brand of hearing aid, so you can rest assured that they will be able to provide it to you.
We hope that you know feel confident in how to find a hearing care provider.
There is a lot to think about when it comes to starting your hearing journey. We know it can be a very tedious process that often gets put at the bottom of our to-do lists. At Urban Well, we are always here to help you and guide you in the right direction. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us on (07) 3310 4494 or click here to read more about our Audiology services.
