In an age when so many aspects of our lives are touched by technology, it is a blessing to see (and hear) that today’s modern hearing aids are benefiting too.
According to Kristen Conners, owner of Orland Hearing Aid Center in Palos Park, staying up on the latest advancements is only one aspect of helping her patients.
“I make it a point to stay up on all of the latest products and services available in the industry today in order to provide personalized solutions for each patient’s individual needs,” says Conners, an audiologist with more than 25 years of experience. “While I have helped patients with every type of hearing loss, I make it a point to consider each of my patients’ unique situations and needs to ensure they have the best possible success and outcome.”
For over 32 years Orland Hearing Aid Center offers tinnitus treatment, audiologic evaluations, earmold/earplugs, hearing aid evaluation/repairs, hearing tests and fittings, cell phone accessories and musician’s earplugs. “In addition, with our new telehealth applications, patients can now connect with us remotely through their smartphone, iPad, or tablet to treat their hearing loss from start to finish. No longer are multiple in-office visits required for fine-tuning. We can make programming adjustments and modifications to your hearing aids no matter where you are. This sets new standards for delivering the best technology and service at an unmatched level of convenience and accessibility.”
Helping patients return to a more normal life of hearing are advances such as wireless technology that is clinically proven to help people hear better in noisy places. Hearing aids can now stream directly to cell phones, IPads and TVs without requiring additional devices. These are very small and discreet hearing aids that people truly love.
“I have been an audiologist for over 25 years, and I have worked in many demanding clinics treating all types and degrees of hearing loss,” Conners says. “What I love most about having my own practice is the ability to take the time to provide specialized one-on-one attention for my patients that sometimes isn’t possible in larger clinic and hospitals.”
Conners says that while technology has changed dramatically over the years, patients still expect the same things they did decades ago. “Patients like to be seen quickly when they’re having an issue with their hearing aids. In larger clinics, a patient may see a number of different providers. We have more of a walk-in service, so people are seen quicker and with the same provider,” she says.
Keeping in touch with her patients and their needs has been a rewarding experience her entire career, says Conners. “The thing I enjoy the most is the look on my patients’ faces the moment they hear all of the sounds they have been missing due to their hearing loss. The look of joy and surprise when they hear birds chirping for the first time in years or even just hearing the traffic sounds outside.”
