UCB Parents Medical Recommendations
Audiologists
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Eleanor 7/99
Can anyone recommend a good audiologist in the Orinda, Moraga, Walnut
Creek area? Has anyone had experience with Better Hearing Aids in
Walnut Creek? My mother lives in an assisted living facility in
Moraga and needs to get her hearing aid fixed or get a new one. I
have spoken to Better Hearing Aids and they said the broken one can be
fixed by the manufacturer, but they recommend getting a newer, more
powerful hearing aid. Technology has improved, but her hearing aid is
only three years old and the replacement cost is five to nine times
the repair cost depending on the programmability. I want to make sure
there will be enough benefit to warrant the expense.
7/99
I don't know any audiologists in the East Bay, but I have a couple of
suggestions. First, there is a great website, www.hearingcenter.com, that
has lots of general information. They also have audiologists who will
answer
your questions. I was getting conflicting recommendations from three
audiologists, and wrote to ask for their opinion. They responded quickly,
seemed to know all the relevant issues, and had a reasonable solution.
You could also call the Audiology department at Mills-Peninsula Hospital,
(650) 696-5538, for a recommendation. They are independent audiologists,
and
don't have the same kind of financial incentive to steer you towards
higher-end equipment that you might not need. However, they are very
comfortable with the latest and greatest. I have been very happy with
them.
The new technology is pretty amazing, but the incremental benefit over the
older technology really depends on the configuration and degree of hearing
loss. You should be able to have a trial period with the hearing aids
they
recommend. Also, I was told to expect my daughter's digital programmable
hearing aids to last for only 3-5 years, so the hearing aids may need to
be
replaced anyway.
Good luck!
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