Page 50 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2026 - Online Magazine

SENIOR RESOURCES

A Hearing Loss Is Much More Evident

Than a Hearing Aid by Gayle Willson

n our changing world, we are bombarded with Hearing devices alone are not the complete answer. It
advertising about what to do when you are struggling takes time with your hearing health professional to get
Iwith hearing and understanding. We would like to use them adjusted and best functioning for your lifestyle.
this space to explain what is on the market and, hopefully, The purchase of OTC aids will limit your rehabilitation.
help you spend your money wisely. We have a staff at Grand Hearing Center who have
been serving the South Plains area for 50 years. We have
The news media, television ads, radio personalities, and been trained and educated specifically for your hearing
printed materials introduce you to ‘Over the Counter’ health. We are willing to work with you to achieve the
(OTC) hearing devices. Their prices range from as low as best possible solution. Gayle Willson, BC-HIS, is Board
$99 to $2000. Please beware that these devices are made Certified in the Hearing Instrument Sciences. Blair Willson
for people with mild to moderate hearing losses. Those is also licensed. We are proud of the “Wampler Legacy.”
with this type of hearing loss are usually not struggling We have two offices to serve you, in Plainview and
at the time. The lower price ranges do not reflect a high Lubbock. Please call today for an appointment, or just to
quality of sound device and have a generic program ask questions.
in them—not one customized to your hearing deficit.
Typically, the main complaint about hearing loss is that You are our priority. We care about your hearing needs.
it is difficult to understand in a noisy environment.
The OTCs tend to amplify the backgrounds, without a
way to use fidelity in sound on specific frequencies for
understanding.

The hearing devices we offer are fit by carefully
programming to your individual loss, after a carefully
controlled environmental hearing test. The hearing aids
we design for you have many features to aid in your
understanding. We offer follow up to get the sounds
right, the fit right, and to aid you in adjusting to your
brain’s ability to recognize sounds it has not heard in a
long time. When purchasing an OTC, you must go back
to the store where you bought them for fitting needs
and repair when needed. Also, your struggles may be
related to an issue in your ear canal (obstruction, ear wax,
abnormality) or a medical problem in your inner ear, and
all of this is carefully investigated when seen by a hearing
professional.

Supplements to Medicare are also one of the big issues
facing seniors over 65. Many of the supplements offer
hearing health benefits. In some cases, we have fit patients
with FREE hearing aids, because of the benefits their
policy offers. These benefits do not include OTC devices.
We are providers for many insurance providers, like
Aetna, Blue Cross, All Well, Humana, Well Care, Well
Point and AARP. A point to ponder is that an OTC or a
prescription hearing AID, is just that. It is not a hearing
PERFECT; it is a hearing AID. Please call us and we can
help check your benefits.

50 Lubbock Senior Link