Louw & De Kock Audiology grew out of a friendship which started during my varsity years! My partner, Anneke De Kock and I, have been friends since day 1 of our studies. We joined hands in starting and expanding a Speech Therapy practice in 2003 and eventually we had 300 schools to service! Due to life happening and both Anneke and I starting with families, we sold our Speech Therapy Practice. I was contacted by a Paediatrician and an Ear-Nose and Throat Specialist regarding the option to open an Audiology practice and here we are today - 11 years later! Being the main partner in the business, it is my task to see all the patients. We focus on adults; children above the age of 5 and we also do screenings on newborn babies to see if any hearing loss is present at birth. Our offices are situated close to N1 City Netcare Hospital but we service many retirement villages in the Northern-Suburbs. We do home-visits especially for senior citizens who do not have transport or are not so mobile anymore. Most of our patients reach us by word of mouth or via internet.
For me, the patient has to be seen as a whole... and I realise that each patient walking through the door of my practice is an unique individual and I try to adapt to that person accordingly. It is VERY important to me that every person who walks out of my office must feel that they were treated with respect and dignity. If a patient is not happy for example with their hearing aid settings, I expect and prefer them to tell me so that we can work together to find the best solution to resolve any issues! I always tell my patients – to wear hearing aids are not like wearing glasses. Mostly with glasses, you take them off and everything is a bit blurry – when you put them back on – you can see clearly! But with hearing aids it takes time and a positive attitude! Usually people with a hearing loss have been postponing getting hearing aids and thus there usually are many sounds which they have not heard for a few years. When hearing aids are fitted eventually, they can suddenly hear the birds chirping again or the indicator of their car etc... These sounds are “normal” sounds to hear! BUT their brain has to learn again: “Oh! It is just the car’s indicator that I am hearing – I can ignore it!”
Hearing aids of today are amazingly good-looking and fantastic in sound-quality! The rapid change in technology ensured that hearing aids can now be connected to smart phones; can be adjusted via apps; are internet based (i.e. can be programmed to link on the internet website – “If this, then that!” - for eg. One can go onto internet and program the hearing aid: “If the hearing aid battery door is closed, then start up my coffee machine!” Of course you would have to have an internet-linked coffee machine as well!)
Hearing aids can truly change a person’s quality of life!
Name: Lelani Louw
Company Name:Louw & De Kock Audiology
Area: N1 City, Goodwood, Cape Town, Western Cape
Phone Number:021 595 1141
Email Address: lelanilouw@happyhearing.co.za
Website: www.happyhearing.co.za