How one mama changed my practice

Jul 12

Parents aren’t supposed to have a favorite child right? As a healthcare provider, sometimes I feel like I am supposed to have the same standard for patients. Probably ridiculous, but I had a favorite patient at my last job. Want to know why I always looked forward to seeing her on my schedule? It was because her mom was the definition of “Tough as a Mother.” Let’s call this patient “Emily,” which means “strength.” Emily had a very complex medical history and required a village of medical providers to keep her healthy. Emily’s mom fought tirelessly to build this so-called village. Except, I started to see the tireless effort look not so tireless as I spent more time with the family. And I’m saying it was at the expense of Mom’s energy- not her effort in maintaining the absolute best care for Emily.

After knowing the family for about 3 months, we were just beginning a follow-up appointment in the soundbooth. I originally fit her with a bone conduction device on a softband while she was still an inpatient. She had since been discharged home and had settled in. I checked off my usual questions about Emily’s health, Emily’s recent medical appointments, Emily’s therapy schedule, Emily’s hearing aid use, etc. I asked how she felt overnight care was going. She told me she’d been taking on Emily’s care 24/7 again because her last overnight nurse FELL ASLEEP! Ok, I think it’s important to humanize the nurse who fell asleep. I’m sure they felt absolutely horrible. However, for this mom it was devastating, and she lost trust in relying on someone else to diligently watch her daughter overnight. She and her husband also have a preschooler, and their plates were full.

It was only natural that I asked- “Well, how are you doing with all of this?” She told me that this was the first time one of Emily’s providers asked specifically how she was doing. What?!

She changed the way I practice.

Sure, I practiced individualized, patient and family-centered care, referred out for specialists, coordinated educational services and helped connect families to local resources. Yet, I passed over so many caregivers as an early clinician because of my tunnel vision surrounding the child in front of me.

I now understand that in order to help my patients reach their full potential, it’s not about the first referral for early intervention or the best combination of technology and therapy to treat hearing loss. It seems so obvious now- start caring for the caregivers.

This is now an essential part of my practice. Following a diagnosis, hearing loss or normal hearing, I prioritize checking in with the caregivers. Receiving a diagnosis of normal hearing can be equally disheartening for families trying to unravel their concerns- I’m here for you too!

A quick note on why this resonates with me as a new mother myself- I was fortunate to have a healthy pregnancy and birth with my son, however, I struggled with the postpartum period. I’m sure I will share my experience with you another time. I don’t think being a mom makes me a better audiologist. I do believe that being a mom makes me more aware of how hard and all-consuming that first year can be. To then successfully manage their child’s hearing needs on top of all of that is superhuman.

At Hear to There Audiology, we are creating a space to educate and empower caregivers. Since opening in April 2021, we know this will be a process for both of us. I hope you will continue to follow along as we release new information in the coming months. Let us guide you through the complex word of hearing- from the basics of hearing to fostering your child’s social-emotional development. This is not just your child’s hearing loss journey. This is your journey to empowered parenthood.