The Next Step!

I recently attended a seminar where the topic was resilience. Did you know that our individual ability to bounce back is related to how we look at change? The study found people need change to keep them interested and engaged in life. Yet change is scary and many of us will resist taking the next step when we aren’t clear what is being asked or why. We have ALL been through a bunch of change in the last year. We are ready for things to get back to “normal”, but we aren’t completely sure what that looks like when the Covid-19 Virus is still keeping our healthcare facilities near maximum capacity.

We sincerely appreciate your continued patience as we attempt to provide you with a safe and responsive experience when you visit our office. Your patient experiences will vary from office to office as different professions have different governing bodies for licensure as well as professional insurance and liability coverage.

Our current office policy is as follows:

• We ask you to call or honk when you arrive. If the reception area is clear or if there is a treatment room available, you will be ushered inside in a socially distant manner. We now have two separate areas to see clients.
• Many individuals we see have not been vaccinated due to health reasons or personal choice. We cannot legally ask if you have or have not been vaccinated and want everyone to feel safe. If you have not been vaccinated it is recommended you wear a mask to reduce your risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.
• Masks will be required in the test booth due to limited air handling capabilities and during cerumen removal as it often triggers a cough reflex.

We continue to sanitize all touch surfaces between appointments which is why we ask you to wait in your car till we invite you inside. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your appointment time, we may need to reschedule to be courteous to our entire patient schedule. We appreciate your cooperation as we modify procedures but still have some restrictions in place.

Coffee, Tea, Cold Water and Friday Hours Are Back!

You can enjoy a beverage again with your favorite cookie. We can’t offer “help yourself” like we had before but we have options in our kitchenette and would be happy to serve you something while you wait. We are open again from 8-noon by appointment on Fridays; Mon-Thursday hours continue from 8-530.

Audiologist or Audiology Assistant?

About a year ago, we announced Stefanie had completed special hearing instrument training to take on additional responsibilities related to your hearing care. Over the last year we created different appointment types, time slots from 20 to 90 minutes and adjusted pricing to be sure you are getting all the care you deserve in a cost-effective manner. To give you an idea of the types of services we offer and who typically completes them, please review the table below. Danielle does call the day before your appointment to remind you of your appointment type and who you will be seeing so, please listen carefully so you are not surprised when you arrive and request an additional service that we might not be able to accommodate. We want you to be delighted with your service and the performance you receive from your hearing devices.

CogniHear is a testing protocol that takes specific questionnaires to assess how hearing impairment impacts your daily life, a screening for cognition which helps identify higher level processing, ear level audiometry, and suprathreshold testing in a more real world setting with noise.

Once the test battery is complete, the audiologist puts the pieces together and recommends a treatment plan. Studies are showing the use of appropriately fit hearing devices and other rehabilitative services for hearing can slow down the progression of cognitive decline. The improvement can be explained because of reversibility of neuronal reallocation from hearing deprivation.

Our test battery has been upgraded to include this additional testing. It is not covered by insurance like a standard diagnostic hearing evaluation. You will be given an option to pay the additional $50 for the extra tests or opt out. If you are over 50, we highly recommend the tests to see what your baseline is at this time. If you already wear hearing devices, there are 7 other factors that increase your risk for dementia, and we will share your results with you and your physician for assistance in reducing your risk for cognitive decline.

We are your local hearing expert to guide and support you in your hearing journey. We will be with you through each step, from diagnosis to rehabilitation and maintenance. All with warm smiles and personalized options! Enjoy June and the graduations, weddings and other family times that summer brings. Blessings, Sharon, Stefanie, Deb and Danielle