Lori's Story

“I Don’t Want to Miss Out on the Jokes and Conversations With My Children”

Lori, a 66-year-old homemaker and former teacher from Wolfeboro, NH, USA, first noticed her hearing loss five years ago. Since it wasn’t severe, she avoided wearing hearing aids for a while.

This is Lori's story.

During the COVID pandemic, Lori's hearing loss had progressed, and she got her first pair of hearing aids. However, she thought it was a hassle to wear her glasses, a face mask, and hearing aids, so she resisted wearing the hearing aids. Now, post-pandemic, she noticed that she’s missing out on the family jokes and conversations with her adult children, which was the impetus she needed to finally start wearing her hearing aids.

The Start of Lori's Hearing Journey

Five years ago, Lori started having some trouble with her hearing, but it didn’t seem severe, and it didn’t impact her life in any major way.

“I didn’t think my hearing was too bad at first. I could converse and hear the TV ok. The background noise in restaurants didn’t bother me,” Lori explained. “But I noticed that I was asking for things to be repeated, and asking, ‘what did you say?’ frequently when talking to friends and family members.”

“When I went for my annual physical and they did the hearing test in my physician’s office, I couldn’t hear the beeps during the test. I felt OK until I had that hearing test and realized I couldn’t hear the beeps,” Lori continued. “My physician referred me to an audiologist for a hearing screening.”

At the time, Lori and her husband, Glenn, were living in California, and she went to see an audiologist near their home. Unlike many people who are initially reluctant to get their hearing checked, Lori was receptive to doing it, even though her hearing loss didn’t seem to be impacting her life very much.

During that first hearing screening, the audiologist found that Lori had some hearing loss, but it wasn’t severe enough to warrant hearing aids. Lori was satisfied with that diagnosis and didn’t think too much about her hearing loss for a few years.

In late 2021, however, Lori’s hearing loss had progressed. After her second hearing screening, her audiologist said that Lori should start wearing hearing aids.

“This was during the COVID pandemic. My audiologist suggested hearing aids, but we were still wearing face masks at that point, which made it a pain. I wear glasses, I was wearing a mask, and it just felt like too much to wear the hearing aids, too. There were just too many things on my face and head,” Lori remembered. “My ears hurt with all these things behind them – the glasses, mask, and hearing aids. Plus, I was worried that I’d lose the hearing aids when I pulled off my mask.”

"I did hear things more prominently with the hearing aids, though. I heard myself pushing my hair behind my ears. I could hear the birds chirping. But it wasn’t enough of an improvement to make the hassle of wearing the hearing aids seem worth it."

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The Third Time Is the Charm

The third time she visited an audiologist was after the pandemic ended. She had recently moved to Westchester County, NY, and saw a new audiologist in the area.

Lori immediately liked this new hearing clinic and their supportive, compassionate audiologist.

“The hearing clinic was conveniently located near my house and had easy parking. Their office was really welcoming and very professional. It was easy to get an appointment. Everyone in the office was nice and extremely supportive. I saw a female audiologist, who was very hands-on, and really explained things to me. She made me feel comfortable in a way that I hadn’t been at the previous hearing practice in California,” Lori explained.

"In California, the audiologist let me try the hearing aids for a week, but I didn’t even last a week with them. I was much more comfortable with the audiologist in New York. She took more time with me, talked to me about my lifestyle and expectations for the hearing aids, and showed me different options."

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Lori said she was more receptive to the idea of hearing aids post-pandemic because she was no longer wearing a face mask. By the time she met with the audiologist in New York, Lori had committed to wearing hearing aids. It also helped that, by this time, her husband had gotten hearing aids and talked about the “dramatic” improvement he was experiencing when wearing them.

Feeling Comfortable with the New Audiologist

Lori felt very comfortable working with her current audiologist in New York and said the practitioner was receptive to addressing her questions and concerns and took the time to explain everything to her. Lori added that everything about the experience with this new practice has been easy and convenient.

“When I had my hearing screening in New York, the audiologist said I’d be a good candidate for hearing aids. Then, she let me try them right in the office. I tried different sizes and models to determine which I liked best. She ordered some for me, and they came in quickly,” Lori explained, adding that she got a different model than her husband had.

"Once my new hearing aids came in, my audiologist spent a good 45 minutes going over everything with me. She showed me how to adjust the volume and answered my questions. I really didn’t feel like she was trying to push me into anything. She wanted me to be happy with them. She reviewed everything with me until I was comfortable and confident with the devices. She was super helpful, and even gave me her cellphone number in case I had any problems and needed to reach her."

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“The hearing aids were fairly comfortable, but it was definitely an adjustment period at the beginning,” she said. “It was like getting braces, which feel weird in your mouth for awhile.”

The audiologist had Lori come back a week or two later for a follow-up appointment so she could make sure the hearing aids were working well for her, answer her questions, and resolve any issues Lori was having.

“The audiologist was terrific. She was friendly, professional, and approachable. She made me feel comfortable, and I wasn’t embarrassed to ask questions. She put me very much at ease,” Lori added.

The Stigma Wasn't the Issue

Lori understands that many people feel there’s a stigma around wearing hearing aids, resisting them because they fear the devices would make them seem old or feeble, but she was comfortable getting hearing aids.

“I never felt a stigma about wearing hearing aids. That was never an issue with me. A number of my peers need and wear hearing aids, so I didn’t feel like the only one in my friend group with them,” Lori explained. “The hearing aid designs are so concealed, especially with my longer hair covering my ears. For me, it was just, ‘Oh I need glasses. OK. Oh, I need hearing aids. No problem.’ It just wasn’t a big deal.”

“The world is changing, and people are more accepting these days. You need a brace for your leg, and you just wear it. You need hearing aids and just wear them because that’s what you should do. I don’t have a problem with any of it,” she explained.

While she wasn’t resistant to wearing the hearing aids, she didn’t notice a huge improvement with them in her ears, which lead to Lori not wearing them for a while.

Missing Out on Family Jokes and Conversations

For years, Lori’s family didn’t really notice her hearing loss. But now, they do.

Lori recently spent a week on vacation with her adult children and young grandchildren. She didn’t wear her hearing aids and noticed she had more trouble hearing without them during this trip.

“I noticed my hearing loss more now that I’ve spent a week with my kids. They kept saying, ‘why doesn’t mom wear the hearing aids? She’s missing out on the jokes and conversations,’” Lori explained. “I remember being younger and having my own mother saying ‘why are you mumbling? Stop whispering,’ and now I can relate to that. Now, I’m committed to using my hearing aids because I don’t want to miss all the family jokes or the conversations with my kids.”

“It’s all about the way it’s presented. Don’t just say to your loved ones, ‘I wish you would wear hearing aids.’ Instead, say, ‘We think you’re missing the jokes, and we want you to be part of it.’ I don’t want to miss out on the conversations. That motivated me to start wearing my hearing aids again,” Lori explained.

"The impetus to wear the hearing aids is that I want to be engaged with my children, and my kids speak more softly than my peers. I have young grandkids and I have a little trouble hearing their soft toddler and baby voices. I don’t want to feel like an old grandmother who can’t hear them."

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Lori said she’d encourage other people with hearing loss to wear hearing aids.

“Go get your hearing tested and if it makes a difference, wear the hearing aids,” she said. “There’s really no stigma. If you need them, it’s silly not to use them.”

Key Takeaways From Lori's Story for Hearing Care Professionals

Personalized Attention and Education: Taking time to thoroughly explain the hearing aids and addressing all patient concerns can significantly improve their comfort and willingness to use the devices. Lori felt more comfortable with her new audiologist because she explained everything clearly, addressed all her questions, and tailored the hearing aid solution to fit Lori's lifestyle and expectations.

Family Involvement: Encouraging patients to bring loved ones to appointments can provide additional motivation for them to use their hearing aids. Lori’s ultimate decision to wear her hearing aids was driven by her desire to fully participate in family conversations, highlighting the importance of family support. Audiologists should emphasize the benefits of hearing aids in maintaining strong family connections and social engagement.

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