Keeping the hearing required to run a company - John Baker’s Story

At Bellbird Hearing our approach is always care, attention and expertise for every step of your hearing journey. 

Everyone has a different lifestyle, and unique hearing needs. We never see someone as a ‘number’.  

Achieving the best communication ability is as much of an art, as it is a science. Therefore, we know that using the latest hearing aid technology is important but not sufficient to get the right outcome. 

John’s hearing history 

Let’s meet John. He visited a Bellbird Hearing open day – a chance to try different hearing aids out with absolutely no obligation.  

John works full time running his own company. Originally an ‘Instrument Artificer’, he has worked across the world and now shares his wealth of professional experience by running industry training sessions. He has been struggling with communication in these sessions – especially hearing people when they ask him questions.  

Other hearing challenges included social situations and the television. In fact, with the television he would need volume on level 70 when everyone else wanted level 18. 

John’s hearing loss, like many, has some complications and special considerations.  

As a child John experienced issues with ear infections. His hearing loss was first diagnosed at school when he was 11 years old. It had been affecting his education – resulting in him failing every school exam he took.  

The hearing loss is ‘mixed’ having both conductive (like wearing ear plugs) and sensorineural (reduced sensitivity and clarity) aspects to it.  

In the 1980s John used a single left hearing aid but stopped wearing it as it tended to amplify a whole host of unwanted background noises which he found annoying. 

Over a number of years John purchased four sets of hearing aids online. Some of these were particularly low cost – as little as $600 a pair. Unfortunately, these devices did not turn out to be good value. See the post Online hearing aids/Over-the-counter hearing aids. 

John: “They were a waste of money, as all they do is amplify the entire sound range. They don’t enhance speech well - plus they kept falling out.” 

John’s Bellbird Hearing experience 

When John attended the Bellbird Hearing open day, Senior Audiologist Caroline Smales completed a full hearing assessment. This immediately identified both the degree and severe ‘mixed’ type of John’s hearing loss present for his left ear.   

All makes and models of hearing aid devices are available through Bellbird Hearing. Based on the specific characteristics of John’s hearing loss and his particular hearing needs, Caroline recommended a Widex Moment 440 behind-the-ear device for his right ear. Nearly all hearing losses benefit from hearing aids in both ears but for John a single device was the best option.  

To ensure that the hearing aid was perfectly tailored to John’s hearing loss and listening preferences, real ear measures (a microphone in the ear that reveals the actual sounds present) was used in the fitting process. This also ensures that the hearing aid was set up safely - avoiding damage to the delicate inner ear. 

John described getting this hearing aid as: “The best move he has made”. He adds: “Every aspect of my life was affected by my hearing loss. Now with the hearing aid in, the sound is SO clear - I can’t be without it”.  

The team at Bellbird Hearing will be there in the years to come to continue to support John with his hearing journey. 

Lessons learned 

John is at an age where many people tend to retire but he didn’t want to. Now that he’s addressed his hearing challenges, he doesn’t have to.  

He has resumed his group training sessions. His colleagues are amazed with the difference with his hearing. His family have noticed a positive difference as well. Since getting the hearing aid he has been able to reduce the TV volume down from 70 to 16 – making the whole household very happy too. 

It often takes around seven years for someone with a hearing loss to act after it is first noticed. In John’s case it took longer than this. The right solution was further delayed due to multiple attempts at a quick and cheap fix. Given what he now knows, John would have sought professional expertise much sooner. That’s why he was keen for his story to be shared.