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Robin M Solomon, AuD
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The journey from hearing loss to eventual treatment is an odyssey that is often intensely personal. Robin M. Solomon, AuD, FAAA, CCC-A, has seen the process countless times, but she has never been tempted to use a cookie-cutter approach.
Instead, patients at Hearing Care Resources, LLC in Wilton, NY, receive thorough diagnostics and a demonstration of technologies appropriate to their personal needs. A mix of expertise, experience, and careful consideration of patient goals informs Dr Solomon’s recommendations.
The recent case of a man in his mid 60s illustrates the Solomon approach that has been honed by more than a quarter century as a practicing audiologist, and buoyed by a relentless devotion to continuing education. “This patient, a 65-year-old man, had moderate to severe hearing loss that he had largely ignored,” says Solomon. “The severity of his hearing loss took him away from friends and activities. He had totally isolated himself and wouldn’t even take phone calls. He really did not see the impact until after he was treated and experienced the difference.”
The man’s hearing in the bass tones was near normal, and Dr Solomon did not want to “plug up his ears” in a way that would make his own voice sound odd to him. “Since he had experienced so many years of auditory deprivation, we felt it was best to fit him with the best signal processing that we could,” she muses. “He also wanted something that was cosmetically acceptable.”
Solomon ultimately fitted him with a pair of premium receiver-in-the-ear devices. Armed with a natural and comfortable sound quality, the patient attended his college reunion where he engaged in conversations in a manner that he hadn’t been able to for years.
Soon after, when his wife took ill, he found himself better equipped to assist medical providers in her care. “He is a cell phone user and really benefits from the Bluetooth technology with a streamer to access his cell phone,” she says. “He can use Bluetooth with the television and computer, essentially making his hearing functional in the life he wants to live.”
Independent & Objective
After working for years as a hospital-based audiologist, Solomon took the private practice plunge, creating Hearing Care Resources in 2009. With the help of her husband, Neal, a board certified financial planner, she found an excellent space that suits the practice’s needs and outfitted it with the latest technology and equipment.
While she has always been zealous in pursuit of continuing education and technological expertise, owning the practice has provided the opportunity to make capital investments that directly enhance patient care. One such investment is the Sound Suite room, which creates an audio experience that educates family members as well as patients.
The Sound Suite, a surround sound listening room and technology demonstration center, enables family members to experience what hearing loss is like, and patients to get a taste of what their hearing could become. “With our Sound Suite, I am able to take family members into a room and mimic disadvantageous listening situations such as a family dinner, a restaurant, a religious service, or in a car. It eases family members’ frustration when they understand why communication is impaired.”
Once family members understand the impact of hearing loss, Solomon can teach them how to better talk to their loved one with tips such as maintaining eye contact, slower speech, and seeking reduced background noise. One individual’s hearing loss becomes a communications issue for the entire family. Technology plus behavior modification can make huge differences.
While Solomon is keen to jump on new technology whenever appropriate, she refuses to use any new invention as a crutch that replaces the human element. One way to avoid this is to rely on a cadre of trusted patients who can reliably “vet” the latest instruments and technologies. For Solomon, it adds a human element to the equation that provides an extra bit of reassurance that her patients are getting the best in new hearing aid technology.
“A lot of it comes down to the skill, caring, and dedication of the audiologist,” adds Solomon. “I am committed to personal and professional excellence. I take my patients’ success seriously. Technology changes so quickly, and you must stay on top of it. I attend continuing education on a regular basis to stay up to date with the most current thinking in my field.”
Area physicians appreciate Dr Solomon’s approach and feel confident sending patients her way. In the Saratoga/Wilton community, she is known as “Saratoga’s Hearing Care AmbassadorTM” thanks to her talks with senior groups, extensive community involvement, and communication with the medical community. “Being a member of the local community means a great deal to me, my family, and staff,” says Solomon. “It’s important to have trusting long-term relationships with your health care team. This is where I have built my life, and this is where I’m so pleased to take care of patients’ hearing needs.”
Robin M. Solomon, AuD, FAAA, CCC-A
Audiologist/Board Certified in Audiology
Hearing Care Resources, LLC
12 Mountain Ledge #2
Wilton, NY 12831
(518) 580-0080
www.hearing.pro
