“Steven Hale was the first person who really listened to me, helped me, and offered me a fast, effective solution, that has totally changed my life”.
Here we hear from Davinder, a young 46-year-old, who delayed treatment for his hearing loss, struggled to get improvement from the NHS, and then finally found Steven Hale Hearing. We interviewed him because the change to his life that Steven’s service and expertise provided have been so profound.
Hi, Davinder, tell us what brought you to Steven Hale Hearing.
“Well, for a variety of reasons, I delayed getting any help or even diagnosis for my hearing loss, despite struggling at work and in social situations. Then, around four years ago I finally bit the bullet and went to my doctor and followed the NHS route. No improvement was made, in fact I think my hearing got worse, especially in conversations and meetings at work. Next, I did a bit of my own research and went to a high street company who conducted an audiogram, but I didn’t really feel completely fulfilled. I work for the Environment Agency who luckily offer health support, and they suggested I look into independent audiologists, so I did. During my research, Steven Hale Hearing kept popping up, so I looked into their online reviews. Immediately I noticed that, for a few years, they had had five-star reviews and some tremendous testimonials, so I made the call.”
Then what happened?
“A few days later I was at the Steven Hale clinic where I had a very thorough hearing test – I simply can’t put a value on how the attention to detail, and the care Steven took impacted on me – it was emotional. So, when I got my diagnosis, Steven fitted me with a trial set of hearing aids, and it was amazing! Then, when he asked me if I wanted to take them home for a few days, I nearly ran away with them immediately!”
What was it like to become a hearing aid wearer?
“Well, at first, I tried to hide it, but then, I was on a virtual Teams call in the office – which is where I learnt that you can’t use your aids AND headphones – and had to take them out. As soon as I did this, I decided to become a “proud wearer” of hearing aids. I don’t even remember why I tried to hide it, hearing loss just happened to me, and I’ve taken steps to improve my life with hearing aids, so why be ashamed. In fact, they are so discreet that my friends didn’t know I was wearing them – so I now take them out and show them and tell people all about them!”
What did you notice?
Davinder’s voice wobbled with emotion here as he said “Wow! On my morning walks I could hear the birds tweeting, my feet crunching on the path, I could turn the subtitles off the TV (which are never really perfectly accurate!), I could get involved in the atmosphere of live football, I could hear when my house alarm was set, the smoke alarm went off, I could hear the doorbell, I don’t need to use coping strategies, I don’t need to lip read….and I don’t miss any of the banter at work! Most importantly though, I could feel my confidence grow immediately – pretty much as soon I Steven put the trial hearing aids in.”
In summary
“I’m not going to bash the NHS, but I think they are in a bad state. I was trying to get a GP appointment for days and couldn’t get through, so I know that using the NHS for hearing help would have taken months – and not provide me with the variety of devices that Steven could. I really feel that Steven Hale was the first person who really listened to me, helped me, and offered me a fast, effective solution, that has totally changed my life! I wish I’d gone sooner! My hearing aids are part of my daily routine – wake up, brush teeth and hearing aids on!”
What would you say to people in your position?
“Don’t put it off! It is so worth doing, it’s not a stigma and it takes away the feeling that you think you are a nuisance to people because you don’t struggle with conversations. You don’t need to do lots of research like I did, just look at the reviews for Steven Hale Hearing, then make an appointment.”
If you would like to tell your story, just drop us a line, and we’ll contact you to get some details.
