Written by: Andrea Carneiro • May 10, 2019• Business Spotlight

Hearing The Difference

The month of May might be officially designated as “Better Hearing Month,” but for the staff at Kendall Audiology & Hearing Aid Center, every month is dedicated to the cause.

The practice, which consists of audiologists Daisy Elwick, AuD, Natalie Crespi, M.A. and Elizabeth Herrera, M.S, works with patients across the board to identify and treat hearing issues, but their mission is always focused on the big picture. “I was drawn to Audiology because I saw it as a profession that bridges gaps for hearing impaired people and everyday activities,” says Elwick, who relocated to Miami last summer after a decade in practice in California. “I learned how treating hearing loss benefits people by simply keeping them connected to the world.”

Working together, the three women have created a space welcoming to both adults and children, with tests often reconfigured and/or customized for each patient. While two audiologists team up to test small children (“We use games or conditioned play audiometry to get responses to the tones, with one audiologist in the booth with the child and a parent.”), they also cater to those who may have difficulty communicating due to age or disabilities. “For very young children or adults who may have difficulty responding to the test instructions, we are able to perform objective tests that can give us more information and don’t require an active response from the patient,” says Elwick. True to their patient-centered vision, Elwick says they encourage all patients to bring a friend or family member to appointments and include patients in every step of testing and findings. “We have a video scope that projects onto a computer screen,” she says of one particular diagnostic tool. “We seat the patient in front of it so they can see exactly what we’re seeing, and we explain the findings as we go along.”

Once testing is completed, the team then makes recommendations for the next steps, whether it’s looking into hearing aid options available at sites like https://www.earpros.com/hearing-aids/hearing-aid-technology/bluetooth-hearing-devices or referring the patient out for more diagnostics. And though all three maintain their own patient roster, Elwick says there is power in-group thinking. “We have the advantage of working as a team to tackle any challenging cases,” she says. “It’s great to have other seasoned professionals to give their advice when needed and we enjoy the brainstorming.”

For patients, Elwick says recent advances in technology have made coping with hearing loss even easier, citing speech enhancing processors, adaptive noise reduction features, and improvements in feedback cancellation. “Rechargeable options and Bluetooth streaming are very helpful to the user and patients report they can hear phone calls easier and don’t worry about changing batteries anymore,” she says. “Additionally, built-in tinnitus maskers, fall detection monitors, smartphone apps to adjust your settings, and remote tuning technology are available that allows providers to really customize a good hearing aid system for each patient depending on their individual needs.”

This month the team, which includes front office staff Mercy Perez and Debbie Gaskill, welcomes the community into their home away from home from May 13-15 in honor of “Better Hearing Month,” inviting new and existing patients to participate in free hearing screenings, meet with a balance and dizziness specialist and enjoy refreshments, educational information, and goodie bags. Says Elwick, “It will be a great opportunity for anyone who’s been putting off a hearing check.”

Kendall Audiology & Hearing Aid Center is located at 9150 SW 87th Ave, Suite 103, Miami, FL 33176. For more information, please call (305) 595-1530 or visit theaudiologyctr.com.

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