Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for hearing aid companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. In addition to focusing on customer satisfaction, Center For Better Hearing Aids concentrates on improving the quality of its patients’ lives and, consequently, the lives of their loved ones. The company’s primary goal is to create a comprehensive, long-term plan for each patient, incorporating the best hearing aid technology at the best value–with the added benefit of a 60-day trial period. “We’re involved in the entire process of determining the most effective long-term programs for our patients,” confirms owner Gregory Free.

Unlike other companies that only focus on selling or manufacturing hearing aids, Center For Better Hearing Aids considers counseling an integral part of its overall service. In fact, a recent study conducted by San Francisco General Hospital found the company offered the most comprehensive counseling to patients in terms of helping them determine the best solutions for their specific needs. “We spend more time with our patients than most hearing aid providers, and we always make sure we help them in any way possible,” says Mr. Free. In keeping with its commitment to its patients, Center For Better Hearing Aids provides free, lifetime office visits for hearing aid service, cleaning, testing and adjustments.

Center For Better Hearing Aids emphasizes the importance of patient education in every aspect of its practice. Before a new patient comes in for testing, the company provides a free consumer handbook that contains information on hearing loss and hearing aids written by 12 of the industry’s top researchers. “We want people to be educated about their hearing conditions,” says Mr. Free. “Learning more about hearing loss is even part of the testing process. We’re constantly encouraging people to expand their knowledge.”

When looking for a hearing aid provider, choose one that offers a variety of products from major manufacturers. “There are a few well-known companies promoting hearing aids with their names on them, but they aren’t the actual manufacturers,” explains Gregory Free, owner of Center For Better Hearing Aids in El Cerrito. “Those companies buy from a single manufacturer, put their names on the products and then market them aggressively. Consequently, they don’t offer consumers much of a selection. It’s much wiser to choose a provider that carries a wide selection of products from top manufacturers. Hearing aid manufacturers with research and development departments are the ones creating new technologies. Everyone else is either buying from them or part of a second-tier manufacturer system.”

With every passing year, hearing aids are built to work better and last longer, but they still require proper care and maintenance. As a rule, anyone who has a hearing aid should be seen by their practitioner two to three times a year to have the delicate diaphragms and microphone receivers cleaned. In addition to cleaning, the filters and tubes should be routinely changed and adjusted to ensure the hearing aids are working properly.

All hearing aids use the same basic parts to carry sound from the environment into your ear. However, hearing aids come in a number of styles that differ in size and ear placement. Some are small enough to fit inside the ear canal, making them almost invisible. Generally, the smaller a hearing aid, the less powerful it is, the shorter its battery life and the more it’ll cost. The following are common hearing aid styles:

Completely-in-the-canal
Completely-in-the-canal hearing aids are molded to fit inside your ear canal and can improve mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. A completely-in-the-canal hearing aid:
• Is the least noticeable in the ear
• Is less likely to pick up wind noise, because the ear protects the instrument
• Is easy to use with the telephone
• Uses smaller batteries, which typically don’t last as long as larger batteries
• Doesn’t contain extra features, such as volume control or directional microphones

In-the-canal
An in-the-canal hearing aid is custom molded and fits partly in the ear canal, but not as deeply as the completely-in-the-canal aid. This hearing aid can improve mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. An in-the-canal hearing aid:
• Is less visible in the ear
• Is easy to use with the telephone
• Includes features that won’t fit on completely-in-the-canal aids, but the small size can make the features difficult to adjust
• May not fit well in smaller ears

Half-shell
A smaller version of the in-the-canal hearing aid, the half-shell is custom molded and fills the lower portion of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear. This style is appropriate for mild to moderately severe hearing loss. A half-shell hearing aid:
• Is bigger than an in-the-canal hearing aid
• Is a little easier to handle than smaller hearing aids
• Includes additional features, such as directional microphones and volume control
• Fits most ears

In-the-ear (full shell)
An in-the-ear hearing aid is custom made and fills most of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear. This style is helpful for people with mild to severe hearing loss. An in-the-ear hearing aid:
• Is more visible to others
• May pick up wind noise
• Contains adjustable features such as volume control
• Is generally easier to insert into the ear
• Uses larger batteries, which typically last longer and are easier to handle

Behind-the-ear
Behind-the-ear hearing aids hook over the top of your ear and rest behind it. The hearing aid picks up sound, amplifies it and carries it to an ear mold that fits inside your ear canal. This type of aid is appropriate for almost all types of hearing loss and people of all ages. A behind-the-ear hearing aid:
• Is the largest, most visible type of hearing aid, though some new versions are smaller, streamlined and barely visible
• Is capable of more amplification than other hearing aid styles

Open fit
These are very small, behind-the-ear-style devices. Sound travels from the instrument through a small tube or wire to a tiny dome or speaker in the ear canal. These aids leave the ear canal open, so they’re best for mild to moderate high-frequency losses where low-frequency hearing is still relatively normal. An open fit hearing aid:
• Is less visible
• Doesn’t plug the ear like in-the-canal hearing aids
• Uses very small batteries
• Lacks manual adjustments due to the small size

Q: As a new user of a hearing aid, what can I expect?

A: It depends on many factors, including your particular kind of hearing loss. At the very least, hearing in quiet and moderate-noise backgrounds should improve, the hearing aid itself should be comfortable, and your own voice should sound ‘acceptable.’

Q: How long will it take to adapt to my hearing aid?

A: Hearing aid adaptation varies with each individual. Some people adapt to them right away; others take longer. In every case, we carefully monitor the progress by seeing the patient as often as needed and making adjustments accordingly.

Q: What do I need to know about feedback noise?

A: Feedback isn’t much of an issue anymore. Today, we have digital feedback management systems that are effective in canceling out the pathways of acoustic feedback.

Q: Why does my voice sound so odd when I’m wearing my hearing aid?

A: Some hearing aids, if not properly managed, will create something called the ‘occlusion effect,’ where it sounds like you’re talking in a barrel or experiencing an echo. There are a couple different reasons for this problem, one of which is venting. The occlusion effect can often be resolved when venting is properly applied. Another reason your voice may seem odd is that you’re hearing it in a different way than you’re accustomed. In most cases, people adjust rather quickly. Of course, it’s crucial that the right hearing aid be recommended in the first place.

Q: How do I determine if I’m a candidate for a hearing aid?

A: You can come in for a series of seven or eight audiometric tests to see if you’re a good candidate. We also take your lifestyle into consideration by having you fill out a form that gives us a personal assessment of your hearing problems.