Pindrop offers a compassionate environment, expert staff and the latest hearing aid technology
Hearing is a sense that allows us to know what’s going on around us, to communicate with others and to experience joyful sounds like laughter and music.
When hearing is compromised due to things like noise exposure, illness or aging, it can have a profound effect on a person’s quality of life.
With technological advances in hearing aids, there’s never been a better time to address hearing loss.
For nearly 15 years, Pindrop Hearing Centres have offered a full range of hearing assessment and hearing aid solutions, as well as custom hearing protection and in-ear monitors for musicians.
People land at Pindrop via doctor referral or after doing an Internet search to find a practitioner.
“They come to us most often after seeing their family doctor for ringing in the ears, dizziness or hearing loss. We’ve also had people who know they have had hearing loss for 25 years and are finally doing something about it,” says Dr. David Patterson, doctor of audiology and owner of Pindrop.
Pindrop’s specialists also see many with hearing loss due to on-the-job noise exposure from working in factories or driving loud industrial vehicles, or who have been affected by recreational pursuits such as firearms usage or listening to loud music.
The idea that only “old” people require hearing aids is a myth. Even young people can easily end up with compromised hearing, Patterson says.
“You have to protect your hearing, because you only have one set of ears.”
At Pindrop, pinpointing the state of your hearing starts with an evaluation.
This typically takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and includes a health history, examination of your ears with an otoscope and taking a specialized series of auditory tests conducted in a sound-treated room with calibrated equipment.
Test results will be shared afterward and explained in detail by Pindrop’s compassionate professionals, who will then offer advice on next steps and recommendations. These may include suggested behavioural communication strategies, seeing an ear, nose and throat physician, when deemed appropriate, or being informed on the range of hearing aid options.
Hearing aids have come a long way from when they were considered unacttractive and rather stigmatizing devices, Patterson says.
“Satisfaction today is significantly better when it comes to performance in background noise or automatic activation,” he says. “And the cosmetics are a lot better now. You can barely see them anymore.”
Some hearing aids are even Bluetooth-integrated and can be paired with a cellphone, using an app that controls various hearing aid features, also allowing the wearer to stream audio for phone calls, podcasts or music.
Unlike many of its competitors, which are tied to only one hearing aid supplier, Pindrop represents all of the major hearing aid brands available, in a full range of styles.
The entire patient experience at Pindrop is another point of pride for the company.
Patients are treated in a relaxed environment by a team of seasoned staff.
Pindrop offers a 60-day, fully refundable trial period with a hearing device, and once a patient finds the best device, they are not just turned loose.
The patient aftercare is second to none.
After someone is fitted with a hearing device, they are seen every six months to ensure the device is performing optimally and the patient is happy.
“We clean the aids and make sure they’re working properly, and do a hearing test once a year. If they think it’s not working right, or one of their devices has been broken or damaged, we are there for them. Our service aftercare program is for the life of the device,” Patterson says.
Pindrop has four locations in and around Calgary, including Avenida, Bridgeland, Dalhousie and High River. Check out Pindrop.ca for a comprehensive look at who they are and what they do.