About the Program
We all know that hearing loss is a problem with communication and that a degree of hearing loss is very common as we age. There is also a very high correlation between the progression of hearing loss and, for example, the risk of falls, depression, dementia and overall brain function. Although the use of amplification (hearing aids) has been the primary strategy for improving auditory reception, the number of individuals using hearing aid(s) has been nowhere close to the number that could benefit from this type of remediation. With the recent (2022) FDA ruling on OTC hearing aids it is expected more will take advantage of some sort of amplification due to greater accessibility. Whether considering going with traditional hearing aid(s) or a less expensive OTC device, there are a number of issues to keep in mind. We’ll spend some time on understanding types of “hearing aids”, types of hearing losses, issues to consider prior to using amplification, some electro-acoustical features available, and some limitations relative to expectations.

About the Speaker
Tom Hutchison is an audiologist (now retired). During his career he was involved in direct patient care as well as program administration in a variety of settings: hospital based and private medical practices, speech and hearing clinics, hearing aid practices, and industrial environments. He spent several years working for the Army (Belgium and Germany) on child study teams as a clinical resource audiologist. He also worked as an industrial/clinical audiologist for the Navy at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. During the last several years before retirement, he was the Hearing Conservation Program Manager, Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine. Tom and his wife Heidi now- live in Dover, N.H. Their daughters’ families, which include four grandkids, are all close by.