Needed: Some Input from Our Readers

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Man with hand next to ear

I am puzzled by something and would appreciate some input from our readers. Did you know that only 1 in 5 people who need hearing help, actually get it? Today’s hearing aids are so small, they really can’t be seen. They work incredibly well, and make life so much more enjoyable everywhere people go—but especially in places where it’s hard to hear, like busy restaurants. And, for individuals still working, they’re absolutely essential to performing well on the job. It’s not even necessary to touch one’s hearing aids to…

Filed Under: John Cariola Tagged With: ,

My Not-so-Simple Job Description

March 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Office Consultation

When you ask most people what they do for a living, they usually have a pretty straightforward answer. When I get asked, I struggle. As head of the Beltone Training department, my role is to design and implement training for our network of practice owners and hearing care practitioners. Simple enough, right? Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. In order to work with patients who have hearing loss…

Filed Under: Ken LaFerle Tagged With: ,

Meet Ken LaFerle

March 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
ken_laferle_sml

Hi all – My name is Ken LaFerle, AuD and I am the Director of Educational Services for Beltone. There is a saying around here that if you are with Beltone long enough, you will bleed “Beltone Blue”. Well, I have been with Beltone for 26 years so I’m sure that my blood has changed colors. In all, I have spent the last 31 years working with the hearing-impaired, including working with the Louisiana Health Department’s, Ears, Nose and…

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Meet Steve Brinkman

March 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Steve Brinkman

My name is Steve Brinkman, and I’ve had the distinct pleasure of helping the hearing-impaired for 12 years as Beltone’s Director of Customer Care. My team’s goal has always been to partner with our national network of 1500 Beltone offices to help ensure the best possible hearing care experience for our patients. Before Beltone, I worked for a bio-food gum company that produced a food additive to keep salad dressings “smooth” in consistency. I can tell you that at the end of the day, it feels MUCH better knowing I’ve helped someone hear better versus eat a well-dressed salad. In my role at Beltone, I speak with many patients every week. One of my biggest pet peeves is…

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Hearing Aid Myths

February 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Hearing Aid Next to Ear

Throughout the years, movies, cartoons, comic strips, and comedians have all made light of the way hearing aids look and function. In fairness, it wasn’t until the last 10 years or so that hearing instruments started to work really well in a variety of listening situations, and be extremely cosmetically appealing. What led to the stigma around hearing aids? Old-fashioned hearing aids had a tendency to generate a high-pitched whistle (also known as feedback) if the instrument became a bit loose in the ear. Everyone could hear the whistle except, of course, the person wearing the hearing aid. You’ve probably experienced feedback when someone holding a microphone walks too close to the…

Filed Under: John Cariola Tagged With: ,

Double Your Listening Pleasure

February 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Woman Talking at Cafe

Two eyes, two legs, two arms, two hands; see a pattern here? Could you get along with only one of each pair? Sure, but would you want to if you had the choice? People who are ready to receive the benefits of hearing help often ask whether two hearing aids are necessary. They wonder whether one hearing aid would suffice.There are definite advantages to wearing two hearing aids, compared to one. Being able to localize the source of a sound. A skill that can be helpful when you’re trying to find your cell phone in the house. Hearing sound directed to either ear. For example, if you were driving and couldn’t hear well in your right ear, you would have difficulty hearing the person in the…

Filed Under: John Cariola Tagged With: ,
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