Which Hearing Aid Model is Better?
I met Anita at a business seminar and mentioned that I worked with hearing devices. In a standard move, she showed me the aid behind her ear and asked if it was a good model.
Honestly, just like all 4-door cars look the same to me, most hearing aids look the same to me. Blair can see the design and tell you who the manufacturer is and possibly the model. Just as with cars, I know it is a 4-door but I couldn’t tell you the difference from a Honda to a Toyota let alone whether it is an Accord or Camry. In addition, there are over 20 hearing aid manufacturers and five major brands. Each one has different divisions and each division has various models.
Back to her question, did she have a good model? Since I love to cook, I used a food analogy. So I asked if she has a spaghetti sauce she likes? She looked confused and I assured her that this would help answer her question. She answered, “Yes, I like the Bertolli jar of spaghetti sauce.” Therefore, I explained, one spaghetti sauce isn’t better than another it depends on the person eating the sauce as to their preference.
I shared my knowledge industry with her; there are five major manufacturers with good reputations for building a quality product. By sampling from the five major manufacturers, she would likely discover the sound she prefers.
Anita is a very active woman:
- She owns a company with many employees
- Attends conferences to help her business
- Networks with other local business owners
- Meets with clients to complete proposals
- Active socially and large family
Based on her lifestyle and her prior hearing experiences, I recommended she try two different manufacturers: Oticon and ReSound. The first one has a crisp sound quality and the latter one has a more mellow quality.
Also, I answered the unasked question, why didn’t I recommend what she was wearing? Because, if she was confident with the sound of her current aids she wouldn’t have sought out my knowledge.
By explaining there are different sound qualities, just as there are different flavor profiles in spaghetti sauces, she can now try them and determine which fits her preference and her lifestyle. She will have more confidence when wearing her devices that will enhance her quality of life.
If you would like an opportunity to compare the different sound qualities from different manufacturers, call us at 941-244-9300. We will review your lifestyle, your hearing experience and help you select an appropriate model to fit your daily life so you have confidence hearing the world around you.