Lakewood Hearing & Speech Center
3110 S Wadsworth Blvd
Suite # 107
Lakewood, CO 80227
303-988-7299
Case Studies
64, male, retired but still volunteers
He reported that the only difficulty he had was hearing his grandchildren. His wife and children disagreed. They said when there was a family get-together he would either sit there and smile and nod, but not really participate in the family conversations. He would often retreat to the den and watch TV.
He had tried hearing aids before, but he stopped wearing them after a couple of years. He said the aids made him feel like he had a cold and his ears were stopped up. He specifically didn't like the way his voice sounded when he talked. He also had difficulties in the car.
Initially, he wanted hearing aids that were "so small others can't see them." We discussed the options and the pros and cons of each type of hearing aid.
He agreed to try a pair of premium, receiver in the ear type of hearing aids. They were small and met his expectation of reduced visibility. He immediately could tell the improvement in his hearing. "This sounds the way it should," he said.
He serves on the Board of Directors of a local charity. After he received his hearing aids, he realized how much effort it required for him to hear in the meetings. He had considered resigning from the board, but with his hearing aids, he's discovered a re-newed energy for his family and for his volunteer efforts.
58, male, employed
He had found himself becoming more frustrated with his co-workers and family. What he heard was not what they said. A couple of times someone has made a comment. One time someone said, "What you got? Old ears?" When others laughed, he was embarrassed.
He had a mild hearing loss in the lower frequencies sloping to a moderate loss in the high frequencies. A pair of hearing aids were programmed for his hearing needs.
At first he wasn't sure that he could tell a difference with the hearing aids. As we discussed the results of his hearing test, he began to identify sounds that he had not been hearing very well. He knew there was an /s/ sound in the word "simple," but he had not been aware that he was not hearing that sound clearly.
What a positive difference the hearing aids have made in his attitude. One of the side effects he's discovered is that at the end of the day, he does not feel as anxious and tired. Perhaps listening required more energy and effort than he was aware but with the hearing aids, listening became easier.
78, male, retired
He felt his old hearing aids were just fine. He could hear everything he wanted to hear. However, his children have a different version to the story.
When they visit with him, they have to talk very loudly. They have to repeat what they say. He often appears to be "lost in his own thoughts." It's frustrating for the adult children. They want to visit their dad, but it is so difficult for them to converse with him that they find themselves shying away from coming to visit him. He feels lonely.
He chose a pair of custom in the ear hearing aids. He's breaking his habit of saying, "Huh?" when someone says something to him. He has said "huh?" so often for so long that it has become a habit.
Sometimes his children say, "You heard what I said. What did I say?" Now he smiles and tells them.