A Special, Anniversary and “Best of Elkhart” Newsletter
Elkhart Audiology Rehab was named the best hearing services of Elkhart County in 2019, and you made it happen. You trust us with your hearing care, and your referrals allow us to continue providing top-quality, tailored services to people like you in our community. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to add new team members to our family so we can continue providing you with the awesome service you deserve.
Elkhart County!
A Letter from Audiologist Sharon Hirstein
Wow. Helping patients hear better is a wonderful ride. How did I get to be an owner as well as an audiologist at EAR? Lots of small steps…
First, I learned the importance of education.
I almost hate to admit it has been 34 years since I’ve taken my audiology clinical fellowship at a United Way Hearing and Speech agency in Kalamazoo under the direction of Dr. Tecca. As a researcher, he emphasized the importance of testing your outcomes. Just because the theory says it should work doesn’t always make it so; there are personal adjustments that make a difference, every time. Education is critical and real ear protocols are a tool I’ve come to depend on, but it is just one piece of the puzzle.
Second, I realized that hearing aids alone don’t solve every challenge a person with hearing loss faces.
Cindy Beechler and I, in conjunction with HARC, developed a great room for clients to practice with new telephones, alerting devices and LOOPS. This allowed them to master better hearing and stay safe when their hearing aids were out. Some tools are different today, but we still offer the accessories and practice needed to give you successful outcomes.
Next, working for a hearing aid manufacturer in product development and customer service provided many skills which allow me to enrich people’s lives through understanding technical features available in hearing aids. I also studied how adjusting certain ones together can mean great success for clients or very poor results. I can’t begin to tell you how the technology changes continue to amaze me. Gone are the days of using a small screwdriver to adjust a dial. Now, we use computers with Bluetooth capabilities that, with the proper adjustments, allow my clients to really understand a conversation in a noisy restaurant.
Finally, I got to my favorite part of my career…interacting with clients like you.
My job is different every day. Your questions, your concerns and your needs are what have kept me engaged, learning and refining the process of providing better hearing care. My desire to provide you with a better experience has prompted me as a person to continue to learn new audiology skills, hearing aid trends and business acumen to keep me legal and profitable. It is also encouraging me to transfer my methods to other team members here at the office who care about your success.
Thank you for trusting us, thank you for sharing your hearing loss journey with us. I know you didn’t ask for hearing loss, tinnitus or the communication frustrations that can come with it, but we can promise to provide you with the knowledge, processes, products and caring people who will can make the journey more enjoyable.
Client Appreciation Month is July 15th – August 15th
Come Celebrate 9 Years of Better Hearing, Better Living
We truly cannot thank you enough for trusting us as your hearing care provider and spreading the word about our services to others in need. As we celebrate our 9 year anniversary, we want to celebrate you.
Tasty Treats
Our office will be stocked with Dilly Bars and fresh lemonade for you to enjoy. Come escape the summer heat with us so we can thank you for being an EAR client.
Fun Giveaways
As part of our client appreciation month, we’re giving away three gift cards to three lucky winners.
The Prizes:$100 to The Artisan; $50 to Lucchese; $25 to Martin’s
How to Enter: Come to our office and write your name down or like and share a facebook post on our page between July 15th and August 14th! Our winners will be selected and announced on our Facebook page August 15th. All Loyal Listeners (those that have already referred family, friend, or a co-worker) will be automatically entered into a separate drawing for a free TV streamer.
Experience Ethical, Relationship-Based Hearing Care
Hearing loss affects 1 in 5 Americans in total and 1 in 3 Americans over the age of 65. While hearing loss is common, it’s still scary to confront. Most people imagine themselves feeling old and being bound to hearing aid models that are bulky and obtrusive. Fortunately, hearing aids now are better than they used to be.
Nowadays, hearing aids are small, fitted, and barely detectable on a user. Good models fit comfortably and don’t sound robotic. Instead, they help you live in a world where going to restaurants is fun, not frustrating, and connecting with family over a movie is easy and enjoyable.
At Elkhart Audiology Rehab, we know focusing on our people, processes, and products results in the best hearing aid care and path toward your reclaimed, engaged life. Here’s what you can expect when you choose Elkhart Audiology Rehab as your hearing care provider.
Caring, Professional People
The Elkhart Audiology Rehab office is a comfortable, home-like environment. In addition to a coffee and tea station, we often offer cookies and other treats for our clients to enjoy, and Stefanie, Tori, or Margaret will be waiting to greet you at the door. Sharon Hirstein is still your board certified expert audiologist who follows the best practices in audiology and refuses to take short cuts that undermine what’s best for a client.
Ready For a New Hearing Test?
Our process always begins with listening to you — your concerns, your experiences, and your questions. We’ll also ask you questions to help us understand the nature of your hearing concerns before testing begins.
Testing
Thorough testing is essential for pairing you with the correct hearing aids. We’ll guide you through a series of technical tests, ranging from an otoscopic evaluation to word recognition. While not all tests are used for all clients, we’ll use our expertise to determine which tests we need to complete to fully analyze and meet your needs.
Test Results
You’ll receive test conclusions the same day the tests are completed. The results will indicate which sounds you hear, and which ones you’re missing. Based on that data, we can conclude how your hearing loss is affecting your day-to-day life and explore which solutions can lead you back to vital living.
Hearing Management Plan
If you need hearing aids, we’ll help you create a Hearing Management Plan. This plan will take your family and medical history into account so you can make an informed decision during your hearing aid selection.
Hearing Aid Selection
At this point, you can see, touch, and even listen to certain hearing aid models. We’ll inform you of each hearing aid’s features and recommend certain models based on your hearing loss and lifestyle. After you choose your model, we’ll place your order!
Hearing Aid Fittings
Using real-ear testing and continued education courses, we’ll ensure your hearing aids are optimally adjusted to meet your hearing needs.
Hearing Aid Repairs
90% of hearing aid repairs happen in our Elkhart office. When we need to send hearing aids to manufacturers, repairs take approximately 10 days. During that time, we’ll provide you with a temporary set of hearing aids so you don’t have to put your life on hold during the wait.
Unparalleled Products
Providing ethical hearing care means standing behind the products we offer. We only work with trusted providers like Phonak, ReSound, and Signia so we know our clients are experiencing the best, state-of-the-art devices.
Your Care is Our Priority
No matter where you are in your hearing journey, we are here to help. Call (574) 262-3277 to learn more about Elkhart Audiology Rehab or schedule a no-charge consultation.
