Business owners, Jennifer La Borde, BA BC-HIS & Chelsea Walters, BS BC-HIS, know many 60-year-olds. Over one third of those 65 and up have hearing loss. As such, a large part of the people they help hear better were around when the Beatles’ songs on the radio were fresh and most televisions had wood paneling. The irony is that this 30-something duo run an operation that has been around since that time too, a legacy the pair are honored to carry. 2023 marks Family Hearing’s sixtieth year in business and it’s safe to say, that like its peers, the company has been through a lot and grown along the way.
When Family Hearing was founded, audiometers weighed around 25 lbs., a hearing device might measure 4 inches long and appointments were literally penciled in on a paper calendar. The fashion of the day was for providers to recommend a single hearing device and these devices were tuned by adjusting various potentiometers with a screwdriver. In 1986, ownership changed hands and hearing care evolution sped up. Chelsea & Jen’s mentors navigated the changing tides of recommending two hearing devices for better results, the transition from analogue hearing aids to digital and even the dawn of smart phone compatibility. Six years ago, La Borde & Walters took the reins of the practice and have already navigated the integration of artificial intelligence into hearing technology, as well as the change from ear gear being for the hearing impaired only to being for everyone, even Kim Kardashian. And they would argue that they get extra credit for remaining open for business throughout the pandemic and ready for more after.
With one foot in the past and one foot in the present, Family Hearing’s current leaders have their eyes on the future. Chelsea & Jennifer have made major upgrades to the equipment within the company to ensure that they are in line with the best practices of today. From new audiometers (that weigh under a pound), Real Ear Measurement Systems and Digital Ear Scanning Technology, the team at Family Hearing is always developing. La Borde led the incorporation of Digital Ear Scanning into the company’s service repertoire. She is proud to say that “while silicone impressions worked well for decades, digital ear scanning is faster, more accurate, less invasive and leads to better patient outcomes.”
Staying relevant however, is more than just staying modern. It also means commitment to a method of blending the science of hearing care with the art of understanding people. Respecting each individual’s unique anatomy, hearing patterns and goals is the foundation of every patient experience. Each person experiences sound differently. It’s why some like to physically feel the sensation of their music’s volume and others turn the dial to where the volume is just audible. “There is personality in hearing,” explains Walters, “and our team is skilled at uncovering each profile so that our patients’ daily listening feels natural to them, not amplified.”
At 60-years-old, Family Hearing follows the advice offered to its contemporaries. It keeps a healthy diet of digesting the latest research in care methods and technology innovations. It stays in shape by obliging the needs of its patients with in-office, house call and telehealth services. And most importantly it knows better than anyone the importance of staying social. Most of Family Hearing’s patrons visit with the goal of improving communication with a loved one. Treating hearing loss is correlated with a host of positive outcomes including reducing social isolation. But Jennifer and Chelsea understand that better hearing is more than those statistics. Just like some plants only release pollen when a bee buzzes at the right frequency, Family Hearing’s growth is attributed to its connection with the right teams and patients over the decades. Sound exists only in that link between two parties and that’s why connecting people to the sounds that matter most is vital. Family Hearing is coming into its own at 60. It looks forward to amplifying that experience with clearer, sharper interpersonal connections. And as the Beatles crooned “With a love like that, you know you should be Glad! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah…”