Hearing Aids & Age

06/13/2024 | Hearing Aids, Patient Resources

Don’t we want to hear up to our full potential and communicate with our loved ones at the best levels we can while we’re still here?

To set the scene here, I’d like to tell a story about a patient that I saw recently. I also told this story over video after the day ended. 

One of my patients is in the upper end of his 90s. He got fit with hearing aids from our clinic a few weeks prior to this appointment, and he’s a very active individual, especially with golfing.  

While we were talking about his golf game, we went through his appointment as per usual; since this wasn’t his first set of hearing aids, we started him a little under his prescriptive target, and would slowly raise it to reach that target over time, so he’d be hearing fully within a few months of seeing us. 

However, something that the patient said caught my eye – or, well, my ear. Upon talking about his hearing, he told me he’s doing well and that we could leave it here. He said, “Really, at my age, how much do I need to push it?” 

At first, I replied understanding where he was coming from; it makes sense, from a logical standpoint, but then I thought to myself, “If you weren’t the age that you’re at now, this would not be acceptable.” 

So, I asked him, “Can we take age out of the equation?” 

I told the patient that I’ll treat him like every other one of my patients, and we’ll follow Flex’s best practices by getting him as close as we can to the prescriptive target so he has full audibility. 

Sure, he might not reach the target itself, but at the end of the day, don’t we want to hear up to our full potential and communicate with our loved ones at the best levels we can while we’re still here? 

Here at Flex Audiology, we adhere to our best practices, no matter the patient’s age. Age doesn’t matter when it comes to hearing care; whether you need hearing aids or not, we’re going to make sure you’re listening at your full potential for as long as possible. 

Of course, I understand that nobody’s jumping to get fitted for their first pair of hearing aids – or their latest pair, either. Hearing care has long been stigmatized as a negative sign of aging and getting older; no matter the age of the patient, I see how these stigmas make them hesitate to treat their hearing loss.  

We’re doing our part to see that that stigma changes. Hearing care isn’t reserved for a certain age group, and hearing loss can affect anyone regardless of age. It’s important to take every step you can to hear as clearly as possible. 

How Flex Audiology Can Help You 

If you or a loved one is concerned about your hearing, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.

Our professional team of hearing care specialists is here to help, every step of the way. 

For questions you’d like answered or concerns about your unique situation, please feel free to request a callback and a member of our team will call you with more information. 

Don’t want to wait? Call our office at (812) 532-3011. 

Hearing Health Journey

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Dr. Person Au.D, CCC-A

Dr. Person has been a private practice owner since 2005. She currently specializes in hearing aids, tinnitus management and vestibular diagnostics, while operating in an unbundled service delivery model. Dr. Person is the host of The Unbundled Audiologist podcast. She serves as the incoming VP of Audiology for ISHA for a three year term. Her greatest accomplishment is creating a life where she can serve others while still spending quality time with her husband and two small children.

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