I’m as guilty of it as anyone. As you can see, I haven’t posted since Oct 1. But when it comes to hearing loss, I deplore procrastination. Hearing loss is not painful, so there’s no motive to fix it today. Hearing loss usually develops gradually, so you get used to it. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say “I didn’t realize how much I was missing.”
Missing sounds, missing words, missing communication. With colleagues, with loved ones, with friends. That, my friend, is missing out on life. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Some people offer a friend’s poor experience with hearing aids as a reason for procrastination. “He didn’t have good luck with hearing aids.” The unspoken addendum is the you won’t have good luck either. Well, there’s no such thing as luck. Success with hearing aids comes from a determination on the part of the hearing impaired to hear better and the skill and products provided by an experienced audiologist.
Other people procrastinate because of the cost. The cost often depends on the needs of the client. If someone is home-bound and has a flat, mild to moderate loss, I can deliver a high quality, assistive listening device, including orientation, for under $200. I’ve seen these devices help significantly. On the high end, my prices for products and services for two ears are under $ 5,000.
There. I’ve stopped procrastinating. For now.
If you live in Tidewater Virginia, give me a call. 757-344-5030.
If you live in another part of the U.S., check out the website of the American Academy of Audiology for the name of an audiologist in your area.