Monterey, CA Hearing Aids Are Nice, But New Wearable Devices May Be Cheaper And Easier To Deal With

You may have been reading a lot recently about so-called wireless wearables and wondering what the heck they are and why you should care.  There are a lot of technological advances being made that will impact seniors and as just one example The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an interesting piece on something which can help aid your hearing.  Many people refuse to wear a hearing aide despite admitting they have a serious hearing problem.  It’s typically due to their perception that they are expensive and ugly.  If you fall into that category, you might try the new “Soundhawk Smart Listening System.”  It’s not a medical device, rather, it’s an app-controlled device which has an earpiece and microphone and costs only $300.  One of the founders of the company that makes it is Rodney Perkins, the founder of the California Ear Institute at Stanford as well as a number of other medical companies.  One person who tested it said she and her husband had stopped going out to their favorite restaurant because the high ceilings made it too noisy to hear.  When she used the Soundhawk, which points outwards so directly captures the conversation from the person sitting across from you, she had a lovely conversation with her husband and she said she will be returning to their favorite restaurant again soon.