A gift from by Betty Vosters-Kemp, BC-HIS Hearing Healthcare Provider Author, Columnist, Seminar Leader
Table of Contents Welcome 2 The Secret Recipe for Hearing Happiness 3 Secret #1: YOU a Motivated and Informed Consumer 4 Secret #2: The Right Hearing Technology 5 Secret #3: A Competent and Caring Hearing HealthCare Provider 6 Secret #4: Supportive Family 7 Secret #5: Physical Therapy for your Brain and Ears 8 Five Frequently Asked Questions about Hearing Care 9 Five Mistakes People Make When Getting Hearing Aids 10 Conclusion You Can Have a Happy Ending 11 Hearing Quiz 12 Hearing Quiz Results 13 Bonus Gift for YOU! 14 (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 1
The Five Secret Ingredients to Hearing Happiness Your Guide to Hearing Happiness INTRODUCTION Hi there! I m Betty Vosters-Kemp and for over 20 years, my husband and I, along with our caring staff, have helped thousands of people reconnect to the richness of life through their precious sense of hearing. I m a partner, founder, and co-owner of the hearing center Rated #1 in Customer Satisfaction for the entire nation Avalon Hearing Aid Centers. In 1988, when Michael and I started Avalon, we had a dream: We wanted to change the way people feel about hearing aids. Our vision grew and became a way of thinking and doing business. It influences everything we do. I ve taught hundreds of workshops, led seminars, and been published around the world as a leading expert in the field of hearing healthcare. What I m about to share with you in this short guide is the no-nonsense secret formula we ve discovered for dealing with hearing loss. It can be as easy as baking a pie! 5 secret ingredients are all you need to live successfully and happily with hearing loss. If even one of these ingredients is missing, people tend to be unhappy. Nobody wants to lose their hearing but if you do, there is hope. In fact, we ve helped thousands of people and their families learn to live happily ever after with hearing loss. Now, you can experience a happy ending, too! (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 2
THE SECRET RECIPE! Hearing Healthcare as Easy as Pie! There are just five ingredients in the secret recipe for Hearing Happiness, and once you get them, you ll see that it really is as easy as pie. But just like any recipe, if you miss one ingredient, you re not going to be happy with the results. I m going to show you the recipe here, and then we ll spend a page on each one of the five ingredients. First Ingredient: An Informed and Motivated Consumer YOU. The very act of reading this guide has you becoming informed! Then, you have to be motivated to hear and understand more clearly. Don t worry. The information I give you will help you get motivated. Second Ingredient: The RIGHT Hearing Technology. There are so many hearing aids on the market today. It s confusing to know which one is right for you. I will give you a checklist to make this simpler. Third Ingredient: A COMPETENT and CARING Hearing Healthcare Provider. The person you choose to help you with your hearing has got to be both competent and caring. That s the only way it works. I ll give you ten questions to ask yourself and help you rate your provider. Fourth Ingredient: The SUPPORT of FAMILY. Hearing loss effects everyone in the family so getting them involved from the start is going to make the difference. I ll show you how to do this in a simple but effective way. Fifth Ingredient: PHYSICAL THERAPY for your Brain and Ears. Your ears and brain work much like the rest of your body. When a weakness occurs, a little physical therapy goes a long way. Training the brain to listen in a new and better way has averaged a 40% improvement in listening skills! (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 3
SECRET INGREDIENT #1: YOU YOU: A MOTIVATED AND INFORMED CONSUMER As you get informed, you ll realize how important healthy hearing is to you and your loved ones. This, in turn, will motivate you to want to hear and understand the best you can for life. ::: Here are few things to get you started::: The average American too long waits (7 to 10 years) before getting the help they need for a gradual hearing loss People don t realize that waiting so long has a negative effect on your social, emotional, mental and physical well being waiting is detrimental to your overall health and well-being The longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to get used to hearing instruments due to auditory deprivation In fact, too many people wait too long to seek help You have to admit to yourself that you have a hearing loss even if it s only a mild loss You must want to hear and understand more clearly You must be willing to take the time needed to retrain your brain to hear and listen in a new way new hearing aids may not bring you instant gratification It is not the purchase of a product that will give you better hearing. Only about 20 percent of your success to living well with hearing loss will depend on the performance of the hearing aids you choose A good attitude is everything. Abraham Lincoln once said, Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 4
SECRET INGREDIENT #2: TECHNOLOGY THE RIGHT HEARING TECHNOLOGY Hearing aids must do three basic things in order for people to enjoy them and wear them regularly. The best hearing aids in the world won t do you any good sitting in the drawer of your nightstand. Hearing aids must 1) Be Comfortable - Are your hearing aids physically comfortable in your ears? Can you forget that you are wearing them? - Are you able to physically handle your instruments? Put them in your ears easily? Can you adjust any of the controls with ease? - When exposed to loud sounds, traffic noise or a noisy restaurant, do your hearing aids adjust so that the loudness does not hurt your ears or cause you discomfort? 2) Not Whistle - Hearing aids should not whistle or feedback with normal wear. - Feedback occurs when amplified sound leaks out of the hearing aid and back into the microphone, causing a feedback loop which can sound like whistling or chirping. - This whistling sound can be embarrassing and annoying to the point that people stop wearing their hearing aids. 3) Make Speech Clearer - Most hearing aids if fitted to match your hearing loss, work well in quiet, one-on-one listening situations. - Hearing aids stimulate or enhance what is left of your hearing. They cannot restore the hearing that has been lost. - Think of good hearing aids as exercise machines that stimulate what s left of your hearing and the auditory parts of your brain. - Hearing aids come in four levels of technology: o entry level, basic, advanced, and superior (Only a thorough hearing test and lifestyle assessment of your life can determine which level of technology would be best for you. Everyone is different.) (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 5
SECRET INGREDIENT #3: YOUR CARE PROVIDER Your Guide to Hearing Happiness A COMPETANT AND CARING HEARING HEALTHCARE PROVIDER The person who helps you with your hearing must be competent in two areas: people skills and technical knowledge. Feeling comfortable with the provider and hearing practice you choose are critical to your success. Listed below are the 10 questions to consider when looking for the best provider with whom to work: 1. Ask yourself, How thorough was my hearing evaluation? Did the hearing healthcare provider get to know me, or just do a quick test? 2. Were you treated with respect by the provider? 3. Did you get an explanation of your hearing loss? 4. Were you given at least 2 or 3 choices of technology based on your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget? 5. Was the importance of helping both ears discussed? 6. Are you being oversold with promises that sound too good to be true? 7. Did you and the provider discuss realistic expectations for your fitting? 8. Were your rights as a consumer reviewed? Did you know that you have a a 30-day return privilege in the state of California? 9. Did the provider tell you about the importance of follow-up care? That it would take 4-6 weeks if everything went well? 10. Did you feel comfortable with the hearing healthcare provider? ::: Bottom Line ::: Your hearing healthcare provider should make you feel like a partner in the decisions about, and care of your hearing. Don t be treated like a number or a victim of sales pressure. (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 6
SECRET INGREDIENT #4: YOUR FAMILY YOUR FAMILY SUPPORTING YOU The most motivated and informed consumer fit with the best technology by an extremely competent and caring hearing healthcare provider can fail miserably IF they do not have supportive family members. The top 7 things you and your loved ones should know... 1. Hearing loss is a very misunderstood problem. 2. Effective communication is a highly complex phenomenon especially in families. 3. When you have a hearing loss, it affects everyone, especially the people closest to you. 4. Your family must be educated and informed about your hearing loss so they, too, can have realistic expectations. 5. Be sure to include your spouse or other close family member in the initial hearing test and consultation, plus the fitting of the hearing instruments. 6. Attend a Living Happily Ever After With Hearing Loss class together to learn: i. The 10 Tips for Communicating Effectively when you have a Hearing Loss ii. The 7 Tips for Communicating Effectively when Speaking to someone with Hearing Loss iii. The Simple CLEAR SPEECH Technique 7. Remember Hearing loss impacts both the hard-of-hearing person and their family. The more the family knows, the easier it is for everyone to live successfully with hearing loss. (Usually, what people want to hear most are the voices of their loved ones. Getting family involved can make all the difference in the world.) (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 7
SECRET INGREDIENT #5: ENHANCING YOUR LISTENING SKILLS PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR YOUR EARS AND BRAIN Hearing aids are wonderful devices that help us hear better but they do not automatically give us good listening skills. You see, hearing is a sense but listening is a skill. Effective listening involves complex, cognitive processing of the brain. As we age, the ability to follow conversations can be compromised by hearing loss and by the natural aging process. LACE: LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM Based on recent findings in neuroscience, the brain can actually be retrained to listen. Therefore, Dr. Robert Sweetow of University of California, San Francisco, designed an aural rehabilitation tool to be used on your computer or DVD player. It is called the Listening and Communication Enhancement Program or LACE. The LACE Program is a ten-hour aural rehabilitation therapy that can be done in the comfort of your own home. LACE teaches you to: o Listen better in noisy situations such as a restaurant (Speech in Noise) o Listen to fast talkers with more ease (Rapid Speech) o Focus on one voice over another voice (Competing Speech) o Improve your short and long term memory (Word Memory Task) o Enhance your processing speed and use of contextual cues (Missing Word) The people who commit to doing this program over a four week period, 30- minutes per day, five days per week, averaged a 40% improvement in listening skills. Now, that could change your life! No one wants a hearing loss. But remember, properly fit hearing instruments are like exercise machines. They stimulate what s left. And now, there s LACE, providing you with additional help it s like physical therapy for your ears and your brain. Never has there been a better time to get the hearing help you need! (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 8
FIVE MOST OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HEARING LOSS Your Guide to Hearing Happiness ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS 1) My hearing really isn t that bad. Should I wait until it gets worse? No. Even a minor hearing loss can put a strain on you and your loved ones. As your hearing gradually worsens, your psychological and physical well-being can be affected. Waiting may actually be detrimental to your future rehabilitation. 2) I ve been told I have nerve deafness and can t be helped. What should I do? Nerve deafness is permanent, and cannot be helped with surgery or medication. The important thing to know is that hearing aids stimulate what s left of your hearing plus the auditory parts of the brain. They actually preserve or maintain your ability to process sounds and understand speech. The longer you wait to stimulate your hearing system, the less help may be available. 3) Why do so many people complain about their hearing aids? They were probably fit with hearing aids that make everything too loud. Most people with hearing loss suffer from recruitment a sensitivity to loudness. Specific loudness testing should be done to determine how sensitive you are to loud sounds. This information can then be used to determine the best technology for your individual loss. Sophisticated digital instruments can be programmed to your loudness sensitivity, automatically keeping sounds within a comfortable listening range for you. These technologies are changing the way people feel about hearing loss! Unfortunately, most clinics do not take the time to do this extra testing. 4) I don t want to waste my money. What if hearing aids don t work for me? As a consumer in the state of California, you are protected. You have a 30-day money back guarantee. There is no risk of making a costly mistake. 5) My friend says his hearing aids don t help in noisy places. That s exactly where I have the problem. Would hearing aids help me? Only a thorough hearing test and detailed case history can determine if you could be helped. But with today s advanced technology and the proper fitting for your loss and lifestyle, you should be able to hear better in the presence of background noise. Don t let someone else s experience or outdated beliefs about hearing aids keep you from getting the help you need. (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 9
FIVE MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUYING HEARING AIDS Your Guide to Hearing Happiness AVOID THESE FIVE COMMON MISTAKES 1) Most people are reluctant to get help for their hearing. When they finally get help, they allow themselves to become victims in the process because they didn t even want hearing aids. First-time buyers fall prey to being treated like a number in an impersonal, busy medical system or worse, get seduced by high-pressure sales. 2) People buy based on a quick 15-20 minute hearing test. It is extremely important your hearing healthcare provider get a complete medical history and performs a full lifestyle assessment. A thorough hearing test and consultation should take more than an hour. Anything less and you are not getting the care you need and deserve. 3) People buy strictly on the basis of price and high-pressure sales tactics This week only! is a typical headline you may see. You should never feel pressured when investing in your hearing healthcare. Work with someone who honors that you are unique and have to go through the process of coming to terms with hearing loss in your own time and in your own way. Everyone is different. 4) They don t get a second opinion. People often feel trapped or obligated to go through their HMO or insurance. 90% of the time, people do not have any hearing aid benefits and therefore, have to purchase the hearing aids themselves. So choose where you want to go. 5) People simply don t trust their gut feelings about the office and the provider. Always trust your gut feelings. Don t buy from anyone if you are uncomfortable about how you are being treated. By getting informed, you can avoid these mistakes. But waiting for years to treat a hearing loss in order to avoid making a mistake, is also, a costly mistake. (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 10
HEARING QUIZ TAKE 3 MINUTES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR HEARING Your Guide to Hearing Happiness The most important information you can gather is about YOUR personal hearing challenges. So let s get started with a quick hearing quiz. Answer the questions below and then rate yourself on the next page. Hearing Quiz Yes No 1. Do people seem to mumble more frequently? 2. Do you often ask people to repeat what they have said? 3. Do you have difficulty hearing someone with a soft voice? 4. Does your family complain that you play the TV too loudly? 5. Does a hearing problem cause you to feel frustrated when talking to members of your family? 6. Does a hearing problem cause you difficulty when visiting friends, relatives, or neighbors? 7. Do you feel left out at family or group gatherings? 8. Does a hearing problem cause you difficulty when in a restaurant? 9. Does a hearing problem cause you to attend meetings, religious services, or movies less often than you would like? 10. Does a hearing problem cause you to feel embarrassed when meeting people? 11. Do you feel frustrated by a hearing problem? 12. Do you feel your hearing problem limits or hampers your social or professional life? 13. Do you have difficulty with telephone conversations? 14. Do you currently have hearing aids that frustrate you? Total YES s (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 11
HEARING QUIZ: RESULTS YOUR HEARING On the previous page, you answered 14 questions about your personal hearing situation. Simply add up the number of Yes answers and find your score on the chart below. # of Yes s Rate Your Hearing 0-2 3 4 5 9 10-14 Your hearing probably falls within the normal range of hearing. Congratulations! And good for you for taking the time to do this quiz! Keep your interest and awareness high and if you notice a change in your ability to hear and understand, be sure to have a hearing test. You may have a mild hearing loss. Early detection is important. Although you probably do not need hearing aids yet, it is important that you have a thorough hearing test and begin to monitor your hearing once a year. You may have a moderate hearing loss. You hear but have difficulty understanding conversation, especially in background noise. You spend a lot of energy trying to follow conversation and may not even be aware of it. Learn as much as you can about hearing loss and your options but start with a thorough hearing test, now. You may have a serious hearing loss. Your ability to be part of a conversation is very limited unless you are facing the speaker. Talking to others is both frustrating and exhausting. If you have not tried hearing instruments, you are probably in denial and hurting yourself and others. Learn all you can about the cost of untreated hearing loss. Then, find a hearing health care provider you feel comfortable with and begin the process of understanding your hesitations. CONGRATULATIONS! You have just taken your first important step towards getting and staying informed about you and your precious sense of hearing. On the last page of this guide, you ll receive a gift from me to support you in taking the next steps on your personal journey to hearing happiness. (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 12
CONCLUSION At Avalon Hearing, thousands of people and their families have literally changed the way they feel about hearing loss and hearing aids. How? Through the 5 secret ingredients needed to live successfully and happily with hearing loss! The winning formula is easy as baking a pie An informed and motivate consumer (that s you) fit with the right hearing technology for your loss and lifestyle by a competent and caring hearing healthcare provider, supported by an informed family, and willing to take the time to retrain the brain, experiences HEARING HAPPINESS! Seems like a lot but it s really easy if you follow the recipe. Don t you and your loved ones deserve hearing happiness? You are well on your way to a happy ending Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this Guide to Hearing Happiness. You are now more informed than most people ever will be about hearing loss. But all the information in the world won t help you hear better if you don t take the next critical step It all starts with the best hearing test and consultation, ever That critical step is: To literally pick up the phone and call Avalon right now to schedule an appointment. If you suspect a hearing loss, even a mild one, call now to get the most thorough hearing evaluation ever, for free. Find out what you are missing and whether you would benefit from modern hearing technology. The best part is, it doesn t matter what insurance you have because I have a gift for you (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 13
A BONUS GIFT FOR YOU A LITTLE EXTRA THANK YOU The best way to deal with a hearing problem is to take action! Have a complete and thorough hearing test and consultation by a truly competent and caring hearing healthcare professional. Our GIFT to YOU! A Free Hearing Test & Consultation I d like to evaluate your hearing for free. Avalon s 10-step Hearing Test and Consultation that has been coined, the most thorough hearing test you ll ever have! It has a value of $200 but I d like to give it to you as a gift for free! We ll take the time to get to know you and your personal hearing needs. You ll receive the most thorough hearing test you ll ever have and we ll explain the results to you in an easy to understand way. Then, together, we ll review your options for better hearing so you can make the best choice possible. But the final decision is yours to make. We ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction in the entire nation by treating our patients like family, with care, compassion, and helping them hear the best they can for life! So call now to schedule your Free Hearing Test & Consultation at any one of our three convenient locations! (800) 424-8573 It s free, it easy, and it s informative. And it may change your life! Here s to your Hearing Happiness Betty Vosters-Kemp (916) 483-9064 (916) 729-2711 (530) 662-7345 14