Evaluation:
The hearing aid evaluation is the time the patient spends with the audiologist to learn about hearing aids and discuss which hearing aid would be most beneficial for his/her particular hearing loss. The audiologist and the patient work together to decide upon the size and type of hearing aid. Care will be taken to insure that the instrument selected will provide the maximum benefit considering the type and severity of the hearing loss, the patient’s dexterity, lifestyle and expectations.

Impression:
Once a decision is made as to which hearing aid the patient is going to order an ear impression must be made so that the hearing aid manufacturer can make the custom hearing aid. The audiologist will inject soft putty into the ear and wait 5 minutes for it to set. The ear impression is then removed with care and examined to insure its integrity. The impressions are then sent to the hearing aid manufacturer to be made and this process generally takes about two weeks. A return appointment for the hearing aid fitting will be made at this time. There is a “down payment” due at this time so that we can order the hearing aid(s); this ranges from $100 -$200 per ear, depending on which hearing aid is ordered.

Fitting:
During the hearing aid fitting, the audiologist inserts the hearing aids into the patient’s ear(s) and makes sure they fit properly and are comfortable. If a programmable style of hearing aid is being fit, the audiologist will connect the hearing aid(s) to the computer and program the hearing aid to the patient’s hearing loss, providing a custom sound. The audiologist will then explain how to: insert and remove the hearing aid(s), use and care for your hearing instruments as well as how to change the battery. The audiologist will review the user manual with you to insure understanding. Payment for the hearing aids is due when the hearing aids are delivered to the patient. At this time a purchase agreement is reviewed and signed by the patient and trial period begins. We encourage you to keep a journal to record your new experiences while wearing the your new hearing aid(s). This journal will be helpful during future appointments if adjustments need to be made to the hearing aid (fit, sound quality, etc…)

Trial Period:
Once the hearing aids have been fitted and the patient has been instructed on the use and care of the hearing aids, the trial period begins. This is a time for the patient to acclimate to the improved hearing provided by the hearing aid(s). It is HIGHLY recommended that you wear your hearing aid(s) everyday during the trial period in order to speed this, acclimatization, process up. You should expect to hear sounds differently than you are used to. The reason for this is because your hearing loss has been occurring over a long period of time and your brain has slowly acclimated to this loss of hearing. Now that you are wearing hearing aid(s) and they are allowing you to hear the sounds you’ve been missing, due to the hearing loss, your brain is doing it’s best to acclimate as quickly as possible to this new way of hearing. This process generally takes 2-4 weeks, which is why the trial period lasts 30 days. The trial period may be extended when necessary. If you are not completely satisfied with the hearing aid(s) you can return them prior to the end of the trial period for a full refund minus the down payment.

Follow-up:
A follow-up appointment will be scheduled for two weeks after the hearing aid fitting. This appointment is a time to report your new hearing experiences to the audiologist. Any adjustments (fit, sound quality, etc…) to the hearing aid will be made at this time by the audiologist.

Benefits of being a patient of Sawyer Audiology

Service After Sale:
Sawyer Audiology works hard to provide you with the most beneficial solution to your hearing impairment. We want to improve your quality of life with better hearing as much if not more than you. It is important to have a good relationship with the people who sold you your hearing aid(s) because you will be seeing them again (for adjustments, repairs, cleanings, batteries and replacement hearing aid(s)). We pride ourselves on service after the sale because it is the most important aspect of dispensing hearing aids.

No charge for hearing aid cleanings, reprogramming, adjustments for the
life of the hearing aid as long as the hearing aid was purchased from us.

Comfort in knowing that the best audiologists in the
Coastal Bend area are treating you.