Jeanne M. Ward,Au.D.

Doctor of Audiology

Melissa L. Hopkins,Au.D.

Doctor of Audiology

IN THIS ISSUE

Not Grandfather’s Hearing Aid .............. 1

Oticon Epoq .................................................. 2

Someone Like You ...................................... 2

Awareness/Rehab Classes ....................... 2

Leading the Horse to Water .................... 3

Tech Corner ................................................... 3

Holiday Hours ............................................... 3

Hearing Aid Tax Credit Act ....................... 4

Laughter is the Best Medicine ................ 4

A Newsletter Service of Premium Hearing Solutions

PREMIUM HEARING SOLUTIONS FALL/WINTER 2007

NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S HEARING AID ANYMORE...

We have seen many improvements inhearing aid technology just in the pastfew years. As you may know, hearingaids are becoming mini-computers,functioning automatically to adjust tothe noise in the environment to keepspeech clear and comfortable.Included in the automatic functioningare automatic telephone programs,allowing people to simply hold thetelephone up to their hearing aid andinstantly hear clearly and comfortablywithout encountering annoyingwhistling or pushing a button andwaiting for the telephone settings tobe activated.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not!The automatic telephone program is

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Mission Statement: Premium Hearing Solutions is dedicated to becoming a trusted ally witheach and every patient who seeks our services. In order to obtain the trust of our patients, weplace a high priority on ethics, patient education, and outstanding service. The “team” approachbetween the patient, family and Doctor of Audiology is emphasized.

Welcome to our 1st edition of the new andimproved “Hear, Here” newsletter.

Our little office has grown tremendously, and tokeep up with all the great new happenings, expansion

was necessary! We will now have more space to keep you allinformed on hearing issues, hearing technologies, and the staff at PHS.

We hope you enjoy our new look as you read about the latest developmentsin hearing improvements.

NEW LOOK, SAME GREAT PLACE!

activated by the magnetic loop thatis in handset of every hearing aidcompatible phone. When thehearing aid detects thismagnetic energy, itactivates the telephonesettings immediately.Although this design isintended to eliminate the needfor a manual telephone setting, thereis still a switch on the hearing aid thatcan be used to access the telephoneprogram, just in case the magneticenergy in the telephone is not strongenough to activate the program in thehearing aid. If you find themagnetic loop in yourtelephone does not seemstrong enough to activate

the program in the hearing aid, we canprovide you with small magnets for

your handset that will allow youto easily use the automatic

phone setting. Just likethe other programs in

the hearing aid, thetelephone setting

can be adjusted forloudness, clarityand comfort. This

feature is avail-able in hearing aids

of all sizes fromsmall, canal size

instruments, to thebehind-the-ear models.

Just another way “Wemake listening easier.”

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WHAT’S NEW: Oticon Epoq, Experience the WIRELESS difference...The newest breakthrough in hearingtechnology, the Oticon Epoq, offers clearand direct access to cell phones, mp3players and other Bluetooth devices. Inaddition, Epoq hearing devices talk toeach other wirelessly at broadbandspeed, offering a sensational soundexperience. How does it work? Aperson’s ‘sound scape’ is divided intothe’“near” world or the “far” world. ”‘Thenear world is about speech and relevantbackground sounds, while the‘‘far” worldencompasses the sounds we receivethrough modern communicationdevices such as cell phones, mp3 players

SOMEONE LIKE YOU!

Dear Dr. Hopkins,

I just LOVE my new hearing aids! Theytruely are the most marvelous things!They allow me to hear like a person withperfect hearing! Because they are soCOMFORTABLE to wear, I have to keepgetting up when I go to bed at night totake them off! The other day I almostwalked into the shower with them on!

You gave me such WONDERFUL help -and I am so grateful! Thank you ever somuch.

Florence Holiday, age 81

Florence Holiday

and computers. Conventionalinstruments don’t provide optimalaccess to all these types of sounds – butEpoq does. One of Epoq’s strongestfeatures is each instrument’s ability tocommunicate wirelessly with the otherinstrument to help people localizewhere sounds are coming from. In thisway, two Epoq devices work together inmuch the same way as the brain workswith the ears. If a sound is stronger onthe one side, the devices will detect thisand maintain the difference in intensity.This way you’ll be better able to locatewhether the sound is coming from theback or the front, or from the left or theright. Such brainy behavior is the resultof a revolutionary new processingplatform. Incorporating EarStreamprocessing, a proprietary short rangedigital wireless system, this platformenables Epoq devices to transfer databetween each other at a rate of 120,000bits per second. That’s approximately100 times faster than the best processingin the industry to date! The benefit ismore accurate, stereophonic soundpictures.

Call our office for a complimentary in-office demonstration and in-home loan.

Hearing Aid FinancingHearing aid financing is availablein affordable monthly paymentsas well as no-interest financing!Feel free to ask anyone at PHS

for more information.

Epoq - small and cosmetic

Epoq aids with bluetooth streamer

NEW: Hearing Loss Awareness/Rehabilitation ClassesEven a mild hearing loss can hinder daily communication. Learning more about issuesrelated to hearing loss can lead to empowerment and an improved quality of life.

Informative and fun, this series of six, one-hour programs will deal with the followingtopics:

• Understanding Hearing Loss – defining hearing loss and understanding test results• Hearing Aids – Realistic expectations, caring for and getting the most out of yours• Coping Strategies (part one) – Factors affecting communication/understanding• Coping Strategies (part two) – Discussion of various listening situations• Assistive Technology – hands on demo of help beyond hearing aids• Resources – where to find support and speech reading help.

Instructor Liz Kobylak, a new PHS staff member, has severe toprofound hearing loss and has taught hearing loss rehab classesand speech reading since 1999. She is a recent cochlear implantrecipient.

Want to join the fun? Call our office to find out when the nextsession begins! Liz Kobylak

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LEADING THE HORSE TO WATERAfter 8 years of business (hard to believe it has been that long!), we have heard everyexcuse possible for not wanting to wear hearing aids. If you have a spouse or parentwith a loss, we bet you’ve heard some of them, too. And in fairness, some of the excuseswere valid ~ at least until now.

You may have already heard of the new “micro” style behind-the-ear devices. They arevery small, and can barely be seen when worn. And oh-so-comfy! They reducebackground noise, improve speech understanding without making everything louder,and best of all, they are fully automatic. No more pushing buttons, using a remotecontrol, or changing the volume control. These hearing aids are truly amazing, and weguarantee you will love them as much as we do.

What’s stopping you? Make your complimentary appointment to check them out today!

Holidays are Here Once Again!In keeping with the spirit of being with family and friends during the holiday season,

our office will be closed on the following days:

Thanksgiving - November 22 and 23Christmas - December 24 through January 1

Reopen - January 2 at 9:00 a.m.

We will be checking voice mail and emails through these closures, so if needed, please leave us a message and we will getback with you as soon as possible. Don’t forget to schedule your final check and clean before we close! And have a safe andblessed holiday season.

TECH CORNERBy now, many ofyou have met TimKennedy, ourvery skilledA u d i o l o g yAssistant. He hasbeen a memberof the PHS familyfor almost 2 years.Tim has become very proficient in allareas of hearing aid work; from computerprogramming to making ear impressionsto in-office repairs and hearing retesting.He is very knowledgable when it comesto assistive devices outside of hearingaids; things like infra-red TV systems andamplified telephones.

In addition to TimK e n n e d y ,Elizabeth (“Liz”)Koblyak iscurrently trainingto be anothera u d i o l o g yassistant. Eventhough Liz istechnically in training, she already hasextensive background in hearing issuessince she has had hearing loss for almost30 years. She will be heading up our newrehabilitation/counseling classes.

Tim and Liz are at PHS to handle allroutine hearing aid checks and problems.If you are having a minor issue with yourhearing aids, or no problem at all andonly need a clean and check, pleaseschedule your appointment with Tim orLiz. Thank you!

Liz Kobylak

Tim Kennedy

OLD EXCUSE NEW REALITY

Are too big Are practically invisible

Don’t help in Noise Have ‘speech finders’ that can locate speech in anoisy environment and boost it

Hate sound of own voice Have ‘open ear’ fitting, allowing for natural voicequality and comfortable fits

Can’t hear on phone Have auto telephone settings or blue toothcompatibility for cell phone users

Annoying “whistling” Has anti-feedback circuits to reduce whistling

555 West 14 Mile Road, Ste. 2-AClawson, Michigan 48017

HOURS:Monday - Friday

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m

We are also available early mornings,evenings and weekends; just ask andwe can set up an appointment. Most

hearing aid insurance plans accepted.

Phone: 248-435-6811Fax: 248-435-6855

www.premiumhearingsolutions.com

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In Sunday class one day, theteacher was talking about Noahand the flood. One studentraised his hand and asked, “Doyou think Noah did lots offishing while on the boat?”Before the teacher couldanswer, another kid said, “Howcould he with only 2 worms?!?”

Submitted byPatient Robert Clark

Madison Heights

Laughter isthe Best Medicine

On May 15, 2007, the Hearing AidAssistance Tax Credit Acts wereintroduced in the US House ofRepresentatives and the US Senate.Representatives of the HearingIndustries Association (HIA)were on Capitol Hill as part ofHIA’s biennial “hearing on theHill” assemblage. Theyapplauded the introduction ofthe bill, and lobby members ofCongress, who supported thelegislation.

Representatives CarolynMcCarthy (D-NY ) and VernEhlers (R-MI) introduced HR 2329, andSenator Norm Coleman (R-MN)introduced the companion bill, S1410.The bills propose a $500 per hearing aid

HEARING AID TAX CREDIT ACT

- Info provided by Advance for Audiologists, August 2007

tax credit for seniors age 55 or older, anddependent children, every five years.

Sen. Coleman has championed the taxcredit legislation in the last two

Congresses. Addressing HIAmembers, he said, “It takes alittle time in Washington toget things done. The key tosuccess is often just staying atthe table.” He told the storyof his father’s hearing loss andsuccess with hearing aids,underscoring the importanceof treating hearing loss andreinforcing the importance of

the tax credit for hearing aid purchases.He emphasized, “In America, thereshouldn’t be a financial threshold for youto have the ability to hear.”

What can you do to further the cause? Contact your electorial legislators in Washington, D.C.and urge them to support the Tax Credit Act as a sponsor. Without enough sponsors, the TaxCredit Act will not become a law.