East Meadow Audiology Practice “Eager To Welcome Back Patients”

Like many businesses in greater New York Metro area, audiology and hearing aid center I Love Hearing temporarily closed their doors, including their East Meadow location, earlier this year to help protect the well-being of patients and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the popular practice is reopening to new and returning patients with a smile – behind a mask, of course – and with several enhanced safety measures.

“We are eager and excited to welcome back patients, but we couldn’t do so without the right protocol in place that prioritized the well-being of our patients and staff,” said Leigh Ann Sauerbier, one of the lead Audiologists at I Love Hearing. “Everything who walks through our doors should feel safe and secure, and by introducing new safety measures, we are able to do just that.”

Sauerbier said that masks that cover both nose and mouth are required for all patients, staff and visitors at all locations.

“Masks are important because they help protect the health and safety of our staff and others around you,” Sauerbier said. “It can also make other patients feel uneasy if they do not see masks being worn in the office, and we want to set a good example for all our patients.”

Sauerbier noted that increased mask-wearing protocols, both at I Love Hearing and at public locations throughout the New York region, may impact those who rely on hearing aids to understand everyday conversation.

“Not only does wearing masks make it impossible to lip read – an important tool for those with hearing loss – but the cloth or covering muffles speech, making it more difficult for those who wear hearing aids to understand what’s being said,” Sauerbier said.

Patients who wear hearing aids are encouraged to come to I Love Hearing to have their devices tuned to this new reality, Sauerbier added.

“Many people don’t know that we can change the frequency of your hearing aid so you can better hear conversations impeded by mask-wearing,” Sauerbier said, noting that nearly all hearing aid models support this setting. “If you’re struggling to hear speech, all you’d have to do is press a button and your hearing aids change. This Mask Program has been very helpful for many people who have trouble hearing other people through the mask.”

In addition to personal protective equipment like masks, Sauerbier said that I Love Hearing has introduced enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocol, as well as new measures to ensure social distancing. Common touch points such as the reception desk and the exam rooms are disinfected between patients. A 15-minute window will be reserved between patients to minimize the number of people in I Love Hearing at any given time and to allow ample time for thorough cleaning. Patients are also asked to arrive alone to their appointments whenever possible.

“By spacing out appointments, we can ensure that the waiting room is a comfortable and safe space for every patient,” Sauerbier said.

Sauerbier encourages new and returning patients to schedule appointments as soon as possible, before winter weather keeps people indoors once more.

“It’s going to be harder to come out once winter comes, so we encourage patients to come in as soon as they can and not push off their checkups until Spring 2021,” Sauerbier said, noting that patients who normally schedule checkups in the winter may want to move their scheduled appointments to October, November, or December.

I Love Hearing is now accepting appointments in their four New York locations: Port Washington, New Hyde Park, East Meadow, and the Upper East Side of New York City. Patients should arrive to their appointment wearing a mask that covers both nose and mouth. Whenever possible, patients should come to appointments alone to reduce the number of people in the waiting room. For more information, including office hours, visit www.ilovehearing.com.