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One-Week Turn-Around
The process of deciding to try a hearing aid can be stressful for some people. Just the thought that there may be something wrong is a concern. It is not unusual to wait weeks to get in to see a hearing professional and then weeks to get the selected amplification. Why? When scheduling and ordering is done right, in most cases, it will only take a week from start to finish.
Hearing loss can affect people in different ways. It can strain relationships, it can affect safety, and it can cause personality issues. If one person in a family is not hearing well, everyone suffers. The person with the hearing loss may feel isolated. The person trying to communicate with the hearing-impaired may feel frustrated. Hearing loss can affect the ability to localize sound. When someone calls or a siren sounds, it takes longer to localize the source of the sound.
And, some people with undetected hearing loss can become impatient with people and insist that others are not speaking clearly or they are mumbling. Why would anyone want this to continue?
When an appointment is made for an audiological evaluation, the results of the testing should be available at that appointment. There should not be a significant delay between the evaluation and the results and recommendations. Pros and cons of various hearing aids should be discussed, as well as financial obligations.
Some, but certainly not all, insurances cover a portion of hearing aid pricing. Most insurances will cover the hearing evaluation, if there is medical necessity, such as a change in hearing, noises in the ear, history of ear problems, etc.
When a hearing aid or hearing aids are selected, an ear impression may be necessary. In this process the audiologist injects silicone impression material into the ear canal to make a copy of the ear.
Some hearing aids are made from those impressions, and sometimes the impressions are used for accessories, such as custom earmolds or eartips.
Once this is done, the purchase agreement signed, medical clearance or waiver is obtained, and payment is made, the order is ready to send to manufacturer. Most manufacturers will accommodate a one-week turn-around time when asked, so that the hearing instruments can be fit the following week.
Except in the case of a disaster, weather or otherwise, there is usually no reason why someone should have to wait longer than a week for hearing help. When you hear better, you live better.
