I recently had a patient in the Citrus Park Tampa office of Gardner Audiology who complained of a gradual hearing loss. She has been employed for almost 2 decades at the same location and her hearing loss was causing communication difficulty on the job, as well as in her personal life. She was fearful about her ability to continue working. My exam indicated very significant hearing loss in both ears. While explaining the results, I asked her why she was not using hearing aids. She shared that her family had been through a catastrophic health situation that had caused financial collapse and she could not afford them, even though she worked full time. Her income level disqualified her from the charities available to help provide hearing aids.
The state of Florida has a program called Vocational Rehabilitation. This federal-state program helps people with physical or mental disabilities become employed or stay employed. I referred this patient to the Tampa office of Vocational Rehabilitation and they were able to assist her in acquiring hearing aids. These hearing aids have had a tremendously positive impact on her life. She is able to function more efficiently and with far less stress on the job. She is enjoying her family time once again. She finally feels she is a part of the conversation once again. She was so grateful for the direction we gave her. She was unaware there was a program that could offer her assistance.
For those with hearing loss, hearing aids are a necessity and an investment. If there is a true financial need, we have resources that we can tap into to help. Please call 1-800-277-1182 and schedule and appointment for a consultation with one of our Doctors of Audiology.
