Hearing Solutions

Boy with hearing aid laughing with family

Why choose Ochsner Health for hearing aids?

Ochsner Hearing Solutions offers fittings and hearing aids in New Orleans, Metairie, Gretna, Slidell, Covington, Kenner and Baton Rouge, Louisiana as well as in DIamondhead, Mississippi.

Once you are diagnosed with hearing loss, your doctor may recommend getting hearing aids. But the world of hearing aids can be overwhelming. Our team of licensed audiologists are here to help. We will meet with you one-on-one to assess your hearing and help you make the right hearing aid choice for you.

We'll be with you every step of the way, from initial testing to helping you through fittings and adjustments. We also encourage you to bring support. Since hearing loss can affect your communication with friends and family, we encourage you to bring your loved ones to your appointments. This will allow you and your loved ones to better understand your hearing loss, learn realistic expectations with hearing aids and establish communication strategies that will lead to successful communication.

Remember: A hearing aid isn't a cure for hearing loss; it's a tool to help you communicate. After getting comfortable with their new hearing aids, most people report a significant improvement in hearing and understanding, along with an enriched quality of life.

Your destination for hearing aids.

Hearing Aids: Frequently Asked Questions

You will meet with one of our licensed audiologists who will assess your hearing needs, personal preferences, dexterity, ear shape and medical history. We will also talk to you about your personal hearing challenges, like talking on the phone, understanding conversations in noisy environments, living with tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and appreciating music. Finally, we will recommend a technology level and style that will suit your personal hearing needs and budget.

After you and your audiologist select the right hearing aid for you, the device will be ordered and a hearing aid evaluation will be scheduled.

Please note: Ochsner requires a non-refundable $250 deposit to order your hearing aids. This amount will be subtracted from the total purchase price.

You have a 30-day trial period to work with the audiologist and decide if the hearing aids are meeting your expectations.
If you are unhappy with the hearing aids, you will receive a refund for your total payment, except for the non-refundable $250 fitting fee.

Yes. You may want or need to try a different manufacturer or a different style. You also may need a more advanced technology level than originally expected. Upon receipt of the new hearing aids, you will begin a new 30-day trial period.

Ochsner Hearing Solutions is not in network with insurance. We recommend all patients verify any hearing aid benefits or discounts available through their individual policy.

Cell phone connectivity for iPhones and select Android devices
Rechargeable batteries up to 24-36 hours
Water resistance with an IP rating of 68
Digital and automatic sound processing
Volume and program control, either in hearing aid or connected app

Free amplified phones are available through Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. You can reach them at (800) 256-1523.
Caption call phones and apps are available. Ask your audiologist about having one installed in your home for free.

An over-the-counter hearing aid is not programmed specific to your personal hearing loss, though there are basic volume and pitch adjustments that can be made in most over-the-counter devices. Over-the-counter hearing aids are recommended for patients with a mild to moderate hearing loss.

Prescription hearing aids offer dynamic processing of the environment and automatically adjust for noise and speech as well as allow for detailed adjustments to be made based on a patient’s preferences and individual hearing loss.

Ochsner Hearing Solutions is proud to offer devices from reputable hearing aid manufacturers including Oticon, Phonak, Resound, Starkey and Widex.

Psychological Health Effects:

Tension, irritation or frustration at communication difficulties
Sense of loneliness, social withdrawal, depression
Embarrassment at asking people to repeat themselves
Fear of being ridiculed or appearing less intelligent

Medical Health Effects:

Safety risks: Being unaware of sounds around you may pose a risk to personal safety. For example, not detecting a car or person approaching you from behind.
Memory loss: The latest research is finding links between untreated hearing loss and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Studies suggest that patients with untreated hearing loss are up to five times more likely to develop dementia.
Auditory deprivation: Our ears send auditory signals to the brain and our brain interprets those sounds into speech and meaning. The longer the brain is deprived of those sounds, the more it affects the brain's ability to understand speech. We ultimately hear with our brain. The old adage, of “use it or lose it” may also apply to our sense of hearing.

Getting the most out of your hearing aids means acquiring two new skills:

Learning how to use the hearing aids, and
Learning new ways to hear.

There is a common adjustment period for people getting their first hearing aids. When you first turn on your hearing aids, you will hear many sounds: Some of which you may not have heard in years. Hearing loss often occurs slowly so adjusting to new hearing aids can seem jarring. It also takes time. Your audiologist will guide you through the process of re-learning to hear and will tune up your hearing aids at each appointment. Please call your audiologist to schedule an appointment to address any concerns.