When Argus Audiology reached out to me a while ago I was a little unsure about how we could partner. I’m young, why do I need to go get my hearing checked out, it really made no sense to me- at first. The more I started to think about it and as a few months went by I really started to mention to Justin more and more that I DID think I should get my hearing checked after all, (he IS always saying I'm never listening to him lol).
I can’t specifically recall when I first noticed my right ear couldn’t hear as well as my left…. I would notice it the most when I was laying down. If my right ear was on the pillow I couldn’t really hear much, so that got me thinking about my dad- who has had a hearing aid since he was 30 years old (I’m 26) and I thought okay, so maybe this is a real thing I should look into.
Argus Audiology is located at 14 Wellesley Ave in Saint John. Argus also has offices in Moncton and Miramichi.
Working with Argus is pretty seamless- there are so many parts to this story I want to share! First of all after talking to my dad we realized he needed to replace his hearing aid - it was old & not working as it should. I wanted to learn more about his hearing loss- something I never really thought twice about. Talking to my dad was soooo interesting, I never knew just how much he relied on his hearing aid- I can’t even imagine not being able to hear, or lose hearing in crowds, at concerts or hockey games, for him and many others this really is a journey that starts at around middle aged (or even much younger). You don’t realize how much hearing connects you with your loved ones, even just thinking sometimes how hard it is to communicate with an elderly person who is losing their hearing…. it’s so hard. Imagine that when you are even younger, with a family like my dad was. Although both examples are equally important- for me thinking specifically of my young dad made me realize… this is super relevant and learning that his hearing loss was genetic started to make me wonder about mine. I want to be able to talk to him on the phone, or in a busy spot (even just amongst my huge chaotic family lol) and wanted to help him make sure he is back on top of his hearing & figure out what was going on with mine too!
We decided to start with my dad’s hearing. At Argus Audiology we first got started with a hearing test- he has had these before and they are pretty standard. Actually at the Saint John location of Argus audiology these tests are FREE- which is pretty insane (go get one!!!!!). The audiologist did the exact same test on me, it is a series of words and frequencies given to you via earpieces in a soundproof room while your responses are being recorded. I watched my dad have his tested and then I also completed mine. When it came to my dad, his hearing had declined just slightly since his last test two years ago which was normal for his condition & age. The tests are specifically designed to assess all types of hearing loss… because as I learned there are many types and at varying rates, it’s not as simple as just losing your hearing slowly as you get older, which is what I think most people assume about loss.
Once my dad had his hearing tested we proceeded to the office of the audiologist where she fit him for his hearing aids- this consisted of creating moulds of the ear canals. After a lot of discussion we decided the best hearing aid for him was the Oticon OPNS 1 Model . We learned that this is a state of the art high end hearing aid and was perfectly suited for my Dad’s hearing needs (as well as many other types of hearing needs). It comes with all the bells & whistles and being a HUGE gadget guy himself but dad was really really excited. Two of the features my dad chose to accompany his hearing aid were a streaming box that you can hook up to your TV so that you can stream it directly to your hearing aid (allowing others to choose the volume in the rest of the room) and a microphone piece that you can clip onto your shirt that picks up phone calls for you and serves as the microphone, pretty high tech if you ask me. An added bonus with the microphone was that if you are in a particularly noisy area you can clip it onto the person you are with- this way what they say is super clear & at optimal hearing volume for you! After the moulds are done they are sent away to the manufacturer which takes about a few weeks to have the hearing aids moulded and returned to Argus to be programmed specifically for the wearer’s needs.
My dad being fitted for his internal moulds.
Since we had to wait for my dad’s hearing aids to come back for the actual fitting we were done with his portion. We took the time to review my results. This part was actually a little scary- but obviously inevitable. Turns out I do have below average hearing as I thought, particularly in my right ear. And in fact my hearing was bad enough for me to be referred to an ENT doctor - my audiologist will put in the referral and I will be contacted to further the process of finding out what is going on. Having my dad there with my for this process was actually quite comforting -similar to what I have heard from some of you as I shared it on my stories, learning that you are starting to lose your hearing can be very daunting- but watching the entire process and relationship Argus had with my dad made me feel like there was a ton of hope and that if/ when the time every came for a hearing aid I would be in perfect hands. -And, that it’s so much more common than you’d think.
Marty’s new hearing aid, The Oticon OPNS 1 Model.
A few weeks later we all returned to Argus as my Dad's hearing aid had come in and was ready to be fitted into his ears. They had already taken the time to set up all the proper programs for my dad. He tried them on and of course it was a perfect fit- they also looked so much more minimal and cool than his older ones. They did a few small tests and reviewed all the details with him, including how to answer a phone call on his hearing aids using an app on his phone. I swear I am totally blown away but how much hearing aids have advanced and just how cool and high tech they are- it really makes me excited for people who may need one- they options are limitless and making you feel hopefully more empowered and afraid of diving into the world of hearing loss!!
My dad will head back solo in a few weeks to make sure everything is working properly and that he is absolutely comfortable with everything and happy with the results- I’m sure he will be. I myself will keep you all updated on my hearing journey once I go see the ENT doctor. I am pretty thankful to have partnered With Argus throughout this process- they truly made this experience enjoyable, thorough and are the most welcoming team!!
All the specific details of my dad's state of the art hearing aid available at Argus Audiology are here.
I had the lovely ladies from Argus answer a few frequently asked questions:
Hearing Aid's are costly, financially how does it work? Does Medicare cover anything? Are there payment plans available?
Hearing aids are not covered by Medicare. However there are multiple options available for financial assistance. Below we have listed the various ways that can help cover the costs of hearing aids.
-If you are a Veteran, you are eligible for coverage through Veterans Affairs. If you wish to apply to Veterans Affairs for hearing loss or tinnitus we can assist you with this process.
-If you worked in a noisy environment and you meet additional criteria you may be eligible for coverage form Worksafe for your hearing loss. If you wish to apply for Worksafe coverage we can assist you with this process.
-NIHB does offer coverage to those who meet the eligible criteria.
-Low income individuals can potentially have coverage through social assistance if they meet the criteria.
-There is also a program available for those with hearing disabilities that need hearing aids in order to properly continue their employment.
-Certain insurance policies have some hearing aid coverage. We encourage you to speak to someone about your insurance policy for clarification.
-We do also offer a third party payment plan option. This does require a credit check.
How long does the entire process take? From start to finish/ how many visits etc.
-The process takes a month in total. You have 3 main appointments. The first appointment is your hearing test and consultation. This is where we test your hearing and decide which hearing aids will work the best with your hearing loss and lifestyle. The second appointment is your fitting. This is where we give you the hearing aids and show you how to use them/ go over any accessories. The third appointment is your 2 week follow up. This is to check in with how you are getting along. We use this time to go over anything that may not have been clear at the fitting. We also run some tests to make sure the hearing aids are meeting the listening targets they are meant to.
Are there different types of hearing loss? Does one type need a hearing aid more than the other.
-There are different types of hearing loss – no one type trumps the other in terms of hearing aid need. The types of loss are sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.
What are some typical signs of hearing loss?
I am going to refer you to a link on Argus's website for this one!
**At this time due to the pandemic Argus Audiology is closed. However you can call 1 506 634 7136 and a staff member will return your call OR if you would liked to be added to the testing list for when Argus reopens please email marketing@argusaudiology.ca.**
This post was partnered with Argus Audiology but all opinions are my own.