OTC… or Not

By RoBeRt FeRRaRo, h i s. – tellico heaRing solutions

What’s the deal with Over-the-Counter hearing devices? Recently, the FDA has developed regulations that allow individuals over 18 years of age to purchase certain hearing devices “Over-The-Counter”, provided they have self-detected mild to moderate hearing loss. These sound amplifying devices are designed to be less expensive than professionally fitted hearing aids. Because of the technology used to make them, and because the customer self-selects and self-fits the device themselves, they are often available at a lower cost.

Certainly some of the 48 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss may be good candidates for OTC devices, but how do you know if you are one of them? And how do you decide which one, if any, is right for you? These days there is a profound lack of awareness – and denial – about the true nature of hearing loss, as well as its complexity, its life-affecting implications, and what it takes to make corrections work for the hearing impaired. Since people are able to “self-select” OTCs on their own, they can easily miss the FDA Red Flags that hearing care professionals are trained to be on the lookout for and required to refer for medical attention. Records show that this has prevented numerous cases of death and debilitation from many undetected and untreated conditions that require professional care.

Your first step should be to get a hearing test/evaluation from a trusted hearing professional. While such a test is actually required in order to purchase OTC products, an online self-test is often allowed (this should be your first red flag). Getting this test administered by a trained professional will give you the confidence of knowing your exact hearing condition. You’ll also know for certain whether or not you are a candidate for an OTC product. Hearing professionals are NOT “middle-men/women”. We have a wide variety of technologies and services to offer. These services are what make the hearing aid immensely valuable to those who use hearing devices. If only it were as simple as a microphone in the ear!

A couple of things to consider if you’re thinking about buying OTC hearing devices:

1.) Prices will range from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars. That’s because these devices fall into three categories: Generic (“off-brand”), Private Label, and Name Brand (the “Big 6” manufacturers). The generic category will usually lack certain features that you really need. Also, as they have proprietary software not available to others, buying generics will not allow you to get follow-up service from a professional clinic down the road if you need it. Hearing devices in the private label category were most likely manufactured by the Big 6 (Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, Signia, Widex, Resound) but they will not be the highest technology level from these brands and therefore will lack the newest enhancements these brands have made.

2.) You will not have the expert fitting offered by the professionals. This involves topics such as wire length, dome type, dome size, distance of receiver from the eardrum, occlusion effect, custom ear molds, vent size, etc. These are all critical to proper fitting that cannot be accomplished without a professional physically being in the room with you. Remember, the biggest factor in successful hearing loss treatment is NOT the device itself, but it IS the hearing care professional you work with.

I do not look at this OTC ruling as an upset to the hearing aid “market”. Personally, I don’t even consider this a “market”, but rather a means to help people who suffer from hearing loss, as I do! Rather, the ruling’s intention was to make hearing aids more accessible to individuals and remove some of the “stigma” around wearing a hearing aid. After all, does anyone still consider reading glasses a stigma to people who need some magnification for small print?

So call us to schedule your free hearing test, and when we discuss the results I will be happy to tell you if I recommend you try an OTC product.

Tellico Hearing Solutions, PLLC 865-635-1887 contact@TellicoHearingSolutions.com www.tellicohearingsolutions.com

Keener Homes, Inc.

“Trust is the foundation your home is built on.”

Keener Homes, Inc.

“Trust is the foundation your home is built on.”

“Their craftsmanship exceeded our expectations. We are so very grateful for our beautiful forever home in Tellico Village brought to life by Keener Homes, Inc.”

Ours was a little different home building journey. We enjoyed living in a small mountain village in Germany for the past thirty years. When we started to plan our retirement in the US, we wanted to try building a home of our own.

Though we had visited Tellico Village several times over the past five years, we ended up having to purchase our Mialaquo lot from Germany, at the beginning of the pandemic, with the help of our realtor’s phone video. After reviewing several local builder’s websites and interviewing Kit Keener over the phone, we felt very comfortable starting the building process from across the Atlantic Ocean. Kit was very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient with all of our questions. Having never built a home before, we relied on him for advice. We really liked every suggestion he offered.

Once we were back in the US, we were also very impressed with Kit’s foreman, Derek, who was always willing to meet us at the house site and provided answers to our numerous questions. The subcontractors and suppliers were courteous, and their craftsmanship exceeded our expectations. It was obvious they took pride in their work. Krisha, at the home office, kept us up to date on our budget and patiently explained how everything worked. We appreciated Kit and his team with their warm humor cheering us on.

Building during a pandemic was tricky. There were significant supply cost increases and shipping delays. Kit and all of his team worked hard to minimize these setbacks and get us in our home before all of our household goods arrived from overseas. We are so very grateful for our beautiful forever home in Tellico Village brought to life by Keener Homes, Inc.

-Ron and Corinne Voyer

By diane stReveR

Spirituality is a remembrance, a feeling, the knowledge that you are more than your body. The promises of faith bring the caregiver, and the Alzheimer or dementia patient, a spiritual richness that flourishes, despite the illness. You are an eternal living being, and Alzheimer’s cannot steal your spirituality.

An individual with Alzheimer’s or dementia, especially if they were raised in religious households, may enjoy hearing hymns or scripture passages. Some are able to attend worship services, while others may avoid social situations and enjoy a clergy visit at home. You can also watch a taped worship service together.

Caregivers also have spiritual needs, and spirituality can be a support through the caregiving journey and serve as a source of strength. Studies have shown that having a spiritual anchor helps to cope with the tasks of caregiving and lowers feelings of depression. Members of a religious community can provide tremendous support to the caregiver and family.

Honor the spiritual life of the individual and yourself, as caregiver. Share passages from the Bible or devotional readings. Use older translations of scripture or hymns, as they may be confused by newer versions. Pray together or listen to and sing along to familiar hymns. Attend the Easter worship service at Our Place, 103 Cheeyo Way, Loudon, on April 5 at 4:30. Our Place Caregiver Support Group meets the second Friday (9-11AM) of each month at the Tellico Village Public Library. The Male Caregiver Support Group gathers on the third Wednesday each month (1-3 PM) at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, 260 Wade St. Loudon (just off Route 72).

The spiritual gifts you are open to receiving come in unexpected moments of joy. Recently, while volunteering at Our Place, I asked one of the participants if he enjoyed singing. He immediately broke out into the hymn, “I’ll Fly Away.” As he began to sing, one by one the other participants around the table raised their heads and began to sing with him. Truly, a more poignant choir has never been heard!

PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT:

Tellico Village Pickleball is partnering with Our PLACE to host the Second Annual WE CARE Pickleball Tournament May 5-May 7, 2023 at the Tellico Village Wellness Center Courts and the NEW PicklePlex. Participants will be coming for the tournament from five states; competition will include skill level brackets. The tournament will be followed by the After Glow Party at the Tellico Village Yacht Club on Thursday May 11, 6-9PM. That evening enjoy the great view, food (small bites) and beverages (cash bar), as we participate in raising funds for Our Place. Musical entertainment will be provided by Second Wind, and a variety of auction items will be available for bid (vacation in Florida, wine tasting event, condo in Michigan, Dollywood, local destinations and restaurants). Tickets are $30, and are available from Ginny Ranck, ginnyr@OurPlaceTN.org, or Marianthe Isakson, svSerenity@iCloud.com

Our Place is a 501C 3 non-profit organization. For more information at www.OurPlaceTN.org Our Place 103 Cheeyo