One morning while exiting the car at my local pharmacy parking lot, I noticed a woman walking to her car alongside her elderly mother. The woman said "I'm sorry I made you come out here for nothing, mom. I didn't know they were closed on Saturdays, but don't worry we'll get your hearing aid looked at next week." They got into their car and drove away.

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Hmm, what should I have done? Should I have offered to do a hearing aid listening check? After all, I did have my handy dandy stethoset in my bag. It's possible that the hearing aid would've needed to be sent out for repair in which case I wouldn't have been of any help. On the other hand, maybe a plugged up earmold was the culprit.  In this case, I would've easily cleaned out the wax and everyone would've gone on their merry way. Ultimately, it didn't matter because I wasn't licensed in New Jersey. Unbeknownst to the daughter and mother our unofficial encounter had prompted me to apply for licensure that week.  

 

Several months later when the pandemic struck, I thought of them again. Why? Well, prior to Co-Vid the mother would've needed to wait until that Monday to visit her private audiologist - not great, but not unreasonable. However, during Co-Vid the mother wouldn't have been able to leave her home at all for months - and that definitely didn't sit well with me. As our most vulnerable stayed indoors their homes became their new world. Certainly, broken hearing aids couldn't be synonymous with lack of sound accessibility for an undetermined length of time in this new norm, could it? That's when I began to think outside the box.

  

Fast forward...I hope the daughter-and-mother duo are safe and healthy, and I'd like them to know the following: Thank you for your inspiration! To my family, friends, and colleagues: Thank you for your support, mentoring, and faith in me. Finally, to my current and future patients: Thank you for entrusting me with one of life's most precious senses. DNC EARS began as a mobile service.  Today, we are here for you seven days a week providing outstanding service and remote care in our new location to optimize your hearing potential. As your Hearing Care Professional, I promise to pass on that same inspiration so that you may reconnect using optimal hearing never to experience a dull auditory moment again!