The changing landscape of hearing healthcare

We are asked by patients all of the time, "How do we know the right place to get a hearing aid". Many of our patients report being bombarded by local advertisements offering the next best thing in hearing health care at a rock bottom price. To those seeking out hearing health care I caution it can be a minefield out there. There are many ways that you can protect yourself against deceptive practices and slick sales people. First, The MOST important factor in deciding where to seek your hearing health care is that you trust the provider. It is more important to shop around for the Audiologist than to shop around for the product (hearing aid). Go with the person that you trust!

Second, you want to make sure that you are seeing an Audiologist for your diagnostic hearing tests. Often times, test are offered as 'free' because those providing the tests are not able to provide diagnostic tests because insurance companies do not recognize them as providers. If someone is selling hearing aids and is not an Audiologist, they may only be able to test hearing for the purposes of fitting a hearing aids. This test will not be the same as a comprehensive diagnostic test. At many hearing aid stores, the sales person will wear a lab coat to confuse the patient and make them think they are a 'doctor' when in fact they are just selling a device.

Third, you want to make sure that your provider is working with name brand nationally or internationally recognized hearing aid manufacturers. These major hearing aid manufacturers include names such as Resound, Oticon, Phonak, Widex, Siemens (Sivantos), or Starkey. You also want to make sure that the provider is not offering hearing aids that have in a sense, 'locked' technology. If you move away from your current provider, could your hearing aids still be adjusted? Many hearing aids are designed to limit who can actually adjust and program them.

Fourth, here are some VERY important questions to ask when purchasing hearing aids:

1. What is the cost of the device and what is included with this cost? 2. How many years of service, how many office visits are included with the hearing aid purchase? 3. Are there costs for replacement parts (domes, receivers, filters, etc)? 4. Will I be able to see the same provider at each visit or the same team of providers, or is staff constantly shuffled? 5. Are hearing aid fittings verified with Real Ear Measurements? 6. What is the trial period or return period associated with the hearing aid purchase? 7. How long should my hearing aid last? 8. For how many years will this hearing aid be repairable if something were to go wrong? 9. Can the hearing aid being recommended integrate with other technology that I use in my day to day life? 10. Are more than 1 manufacturer of hearing aids offered here? 11. Are you an independent practice or are you owned by another entity? 12. How long have you been in practice? 13. How can I communicate with my provider if I have a problem. 14. Why is there such a price range when it comes to hearing aids?

Stay tuned to this blog for the answers to the questions later in the week! Please check us out and like us on Facebook. Check out our website for updates at The Hearing Center . Please contact our Director of Audiology DrEricSandler@thcaudiology.com with any questions you may have.

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The Hearing Center updates all services to computer based diagnostics

At The Hearing Center, we are very proud to announce that by the end of the week, all of our facilities will be offering state of the art computer based diagnostics. Our practice has enhanced our diagnostic testing capabilities and modernized our facilities. Integrated real ear measures are now available for all hearing aid fittings at all facilities. Please contact our office to set up an appointment and take advantage of our state of the art capabilities!

The Hearing Center joins Cochlear's exclusive provider network

We are very excited to announce that we have been approved as a selected clinic site for the Cochlear Americas Provider Network. In the near future we will be working with Cochlear Implant and BAHA patients for their evaluations and mapping. Please contact us for further details! Keep an eye on this blog for more exciting updates in the near future! Check out this video to get learn about the newest cochlear implant technology:

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Professional Hearing Aid Fitting Simplifies Process And Improves Outcome

The Central New Jersey Patch.com news service recently ran an article on us! Check it out:

MANALAPAN, NJ -- Oftentimes during the holiday season, people who use hearing aids without advice or guidance from professional audiologists are left at a disadvantage around the dinner table. Even worse, they may not even be aware that their hearing aids are ill-fitting, leading to conversations peppered with requests to repeat jokes and stories from family and friends.

“We get patients who have had bad experiences with hearing aids, through internet purchasing or big box purchasing,” said Dr. Eric Sandler, an audiologist with The Hearing Center in central New Jersey. “Proper hearing aid fitting is a part of the hearing healthcare process, but it is not the end of the process. We provide comprehensive hearing health care beyond just hearing aids.”

At The Hearing Center, Sandler said that comprehensive hearing healthcare, aural rehabilitation and hearing aid use reduces struggles users may have with non-personalized service by ensuring that hearing aids fit and function properly, in accordance with each individual’s needs. When going to an audiologist, patients “work with a doctorate-level expert, concerned with all aspects of hearing health care. Not at the place where they buy their toilet paper.” This expert advice can often make a critical difference, when contrasted with the experience of ordering online or going into a discount store.

“At The Hearing Center, each device is expertly programmed, not just to a cookie cutter formula,” Sandler said. “We are making sure that the hearing aids we fit are doing what we expect them to do because we verify fittings and each person’s hearing loss is different. The acoustics of the individual ears need to be taken into account as well.”

According to Sandler, patients of The Hearing Center know they are receiving a quality, FDA-approved hearing aid.

“There are regulations that are often skirted around with some of these sales channels,” Sandler said. “There are guidelines regarding what can be called a hearing aid. Items that are not hearing aids are called personal sound amplifiers, and those are not necessarily regulated by the FDA.”

Comparing personal sound amplifiers to vitamins in the health and wellness industry, Sandler said that FDA regulation is in place to protect consumers looking to improve their hearing.

“Like with unregulated vitamin supplements, you don’t always know what you’re getting or if what they are claiming is true,” Sandler said. “A lot of sound amplifiers aren’t cheap. They could be hundreds of dollars, which gives the illusion of quality. Then when patients have a bad outcome with them, they assume all hearing aids don’t work because they tried them out in a less-than-ideal way.”

Sandler’s practice works with medical professionals to guarantee that any medical issues are addressed prior to fitting hearing aids.

“We often work closely with physicians to make sure that medical issues are treated,” Sandler said. “We are doctorate-level audiologists who understand the science and physiology of the ear. [Hearing aid] manufacturers will often put lesser technology in big box stores, and they tend not to have the most up-to-date technology in those sorts of places.”

Sandler said that this lesser technology -- including recent efforts to consolidate hearing aid manufacturers and outlets where the devices can be purchased -- can be detrimental to unknowing patients.

“There has been a lot of consolidation in the industry, where hearing aid companies are buying practices,” Sandler said, noting that The Hearing Center remains independent and not tied to any particular hearing aid manufacturer or representative. “People don’t necessarily know when their practices are owned by a hearing aid company, whose employees are pushing those particular products.”

Sandler explained that while the cheaper price can be appealing to those on a budget, these compromise options would almost certainly not work as well in the long run.

“People will oftentimes shop around for price -- the more important thing is to shop for the provider that they are comfortable with,” Sandler said. “So many hearing aid products are similar across manufacturers. You need the audiologist that you feel most comfortable with to ensure that you adjust accordingly. A lot of places will advertise cheap hearing aids but won’t tell you that service terms may not be included or may be less comprehensive.”

One of the ways The Hearing Center helps patients adjust to hearing aids is with free classes led by Dr. Anne Michele Puglisi, the center’s audiologist who specializes in aural rehabilitation. These classes guide patients on exactly how to maximize the benefits they derive from their hearing aids. Staff is open to questions via email as well as on their very active Facebook page.

“We give patients access to us off-hours via email, where we can be very responsive and they are not limited to our office hours,” Sandler said. “I have patients who are traveling the world, and I can troubleshoot their hearing aids via email.”

In addition to the classes, patients can draw maximum benefit from hearing aids by utilizing the state-of-the-art technology employed at The Hearing Center that fine-tunes hearing aids and guarantees that they are at full working capacity in relation to each person’s particular hearing needs.

The Hearing Center is in the news!

  Many of our satisfied patients know us as the best place for all of your audiology needs, including hearing aids and audiological exams, but did you know that The Hearing Center is also a leader in community outreach and education?

Check it out, from our latest press release which was picked up on Yahoo News, Reuters, the International Business Times and dozens of other huge media sites! Even the Boston Globe is running our story!

New Jersey audiology practice The Hearing Center now offers free community education courses on communication-enhancing skills for those experiencing hearing loss.

"Many patients do not have a great understanding of hearing loss," said Dr. Eric Sandler, director of audiology at The Hearing Center. "Hearing loss affects you in different listening environments, so [we teach] different strategies to compensate for how the hearing loss affects them."

Aural rehabilitation classes cover strategies that enhance communication, including lip-reading and handling stressful listening environments.

According to audiologist Dr. Anne Michele Puglisi, class facilitator and aural rehabilitation specialist with the center, group settings are useful ways to learn how to cope with reduced hearing capabilities.

"The class is a perfect time for [attendees] to share thoughts or to ask questions about hearing loss," Puglisi said. "Classes give patients the opportunity to learn more about strategies they can use to improve communication.

Attendees learn how to use visual cues to improve understanding. We practice techniques using real-life situations and language. We even review technology that can complement their hearing aids in challenging listening environments."

The free aural rehabilitation class begins on Oct. 7 at 1:15 p.m. at The Hearing Center's Manalapan offices, 224 Taylors Mills Road. Additional sessions will take place at the same time and location on October 14th and 21st. Reservations are required and space is limited; call (732) 462-8412 to reserve.

For the full story including more quotes from our staff check out the release here!

And remember to make your reservations if you'd like to attend a class. You can give us a call or reach out via our contact form by clicking here.

Thank you for choosing us!

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Welcome to The Hearing Center, new and improved!

To all of our patients, customers and friends, we thank you so much for your support throughout the years! We are very proud of our brand new website which uses the latest in web design technology just as we use the latest in audiology technology. We hope you will enjoy using our streamlined system which is specially designed to be easily accessible on computers, smart phones and tablets.

Keep checking back here for more updates and news from The Hearing Center!

And if you haven't yet, make sure you connect with us on social media:

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