“It’s Never Too Early Or Too Late To Get Hearing Aids” – Mary Harris’ Story

November 15, 2021
An elderly woman in a yellow jacket is sitting in a chair.

As we focus during May on celebrating Older Americans Month and Better Hearing and Speech Month, longtime Johnson Audiology patient Mary Harris’ journey to better hearing is a fitting one for the telling

You see, now 108 years old, Mrs. Harris got her first set of hearing aids at 103, proving that, as she says “it’s never too early or too late to address your own hearing health care.”


Interviewing Mrs. Harris, a resident of Signal Mountain’s Alexian Village, for this feature was indeed an interesting hour as she recounted a life spent watching the world change in very drastic ways. At the time of this interview last Fall 2018, the world was marking the 100 th anniversary of Armistice Day, that pivotal historic milestone when the cessation of hostilities between the Allies and Germany became official, and the world’s bloodiest war—at least up to that point—drew to a close.


Mrs. Harris remembers that day—November 11, 1918—well as she says the whole world seemed to come together to take a deep, collective sigh of relief and celebrate the end of World War I. People around the world had been instructed to go outside and join together with neighbors and friends for a time of reflection, commemoration and celebration “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” Mrs. Harris says she and her family did just that. “I was seven years old at the time, and I remember mother giving me pots and pans and spoons to make noise with. We went out on the front lawn, and all up and down the street our neighbors were out doing the same,” Mrs. Harris relates. One hundred years later, Mrs. Harris remembers vividly the sounds from that day, punctuating how our sense of hearing can mentally cement the events that pave the foundation of our life’s story and link us together with others.


For more than 95 years, Mrs. Harris engaged with her world through sound with seemingly little to no hearing loss, quite a feat since the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders shows that an estimated 28.8 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids as a way of addressing their hearing loss.


As is often the case in families where a member has hearing loss, one of Mrs. Harris’ daughters was the first to notice when her mother started asking her to repeat herself. The issue seemed less pronounced when she was looking straight at her mom, a common warning sign of hearing loss since the individual is filling in the gaps by lip-reading. “Reading lips and gestures tends to be a common coping mechanism for people with hearing loss,” says Megan Johnson, Au.D., the founder of Johnson Audiology. “A person’s brain is having to work overtime when they are challenged with hearing loss. This can lead to ‘listening fatigue’ that can affect the person in a myriad of ways from decreased awareness of surroundings, which can cause safety concerns, to accelerated brain tissue loss over time.”


Mrs. Harris is the perfect example of a person who took control of her own hearing health, not waiting years to be tested and fit with hearing aids. Fewer than 30% of those with hearing loss have ever actually used hearing aids. In fact, research suggests that most hearing aid users wait at least 10 years after the onset of their hearing loss to seek intervention.


While Mrs. Harris says she was a bit resistant when her daughter first mentioned it, she quickly realized that being able to hear her friends and family was a simple quality of life choice and that stubbornness was not going to cause her to miss out on engaging fully in the world around her. Johnson says, “I remember Mrs. Harris’ first appointment in the summer of 2014 when she was 103 years old. I applaud her choice to act quickly.”


Johnson goes on to say that for those who are candidates, hearing aids treat hearing loss by giving the user access to sounds they are unable to detect with their ears alone, improving speech understanding and awareness of environmental sounds. “One of the first things Mrs. Harris mentioned to me at her hearing diagnostic appointment was her difficulty in understanding normal speech,” Johnson says. The large population of patients with untreated hearing loss is not only missing out on these direct benefits, but also are at risk for additional physical and psychological health issues.


Hearing loss affects every individual differently, but research has identified numerous potential negative consequences that are more likely to arise in people who are hearing impaired. One of the most basic concerns with untreated hearing loss is general safety. Sounds such as alarms, sirens, car horns, or verbal warnings can signal threats to personal safety, prompting individuals to react accordingly and protect themselves. Inability to detect these signals can therefore put a person in danger.


The list goes on, Johnson says. “Decreased environmental sound awareness also has been associated with an increased risk of falling and thus for injury. Hearing loss has an emotional impact as well. It is linked to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, frustration, and social isolation. This likely stems from the impaired communication that results from declined speech understanding,” she says.These connections highlight the importance of addressing hearing loss as soon as it is noticed. Whether seeking intervention, concerned about a medical issue, or simply monitoring hearing status, Johnson says that “we all need to start thinking of addressing our hearing health as just another way of addressing our overall body health.”


Mrs. Harris continues to have appointments with Johnson Audiology whenever she needs supplies, regular maintenance or a programming adjustment on her hearing aids. The audiologists from Johnson Audiology visit once a month to offer various hearing health care services to Alexian residents. Additionally, all five of offices of Johnson Audiology are accepting new patients.


Mrs. Harris’ suggestion to others about hearing aids is as no-nonsense and straightforward as her seven-year-old self banging on pots and pans at the Armistice Day celebration: “If you need hearing aids, I would say you need to get them.” Sound advice from this lady who has heard a few things in her 108 years.


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Hearing Across the Table Again: Karen Marcus’s Journey to Better Hearing

October 7, 2026
The restaurant was loud. Music played in the background, conversations filled the room and Karen Marcus was seated with a group of coworkers. For much of her life, this was exactly the kind of setting that made communication difficult. But this time, something remarkable happened: Karen could understand the person sitting across the table. “That just blew my mind,” she recalled. It may sound like an ordinary conversation, but for Karen, it represented something much bigger. She was not trying to piece together fragments of sentences or repeatedly asking someone to start over. She was simply sitting at the table, following the conversation and being part of the moment. A Lifetime of Working to Hear Karen was born with hearing loss. As she grew older, her hearing continued to decline, making conversations increasingly difficult. Social situations could leave her feeling uneasy before they even began. She might have to ask “What?” again and again, misunderstand what someone said or miss the conversation completely. “It was frustrating and embarrassing, even though it shouldn’t be,” Karen said. Her family and coworkers understood her hearing loss and tried to help by facing her when they spoke so she could read their lips. That support mattered, but communication still required effort. A restaurant, meeting or group conversation could quickly become overwhelming. Karen wanted to hear more clearly, but she also wanted something deeper: the confidence to participate without constantly worrying about what she might miss. Discovering What Was Possible Karen eventually received a cochlear implant and a compatible hearing aid. Before her implant was activated, she read about the experiences of other cochlear implant recipients and joined several online support groups. She wanted to understand what the process might be like and what she could realistically expect. Once her implant was activated, those possibilities began to become real. “Seeing those expectations come to realization, it has just been an amazing journey,” she said. The change became especially clear during that evening at the restaurant. Surrounded by music and competing voices, Karen could understand someone seated across the table—one of the most challenging listening situations for many people with hearing loss. Karen is careful not to describe the result as perfect hearing. Instead, she measures it against what life sounded like before. “I’m not going to exaggerate and say that it’s perfect,” she said. “But based on what it was before and what it is now, it’s light-years ahead.” Better Hearing in Everyday Life The difference extends beyond one memorable conversation. Karen can stream cellphone calls directly into her hearing devices, making it easier to understand the person on the other end. Television audio can also stream to her devices, helping her follow programs without struggling to catch every word. For conferences, presentations and other situations when a speaker may be farther away, Karen uses a Roger assistive listening device. During one tour, the guide clipped the Roger microphone to their collar. Even from approximately 20 feet away, Karen could hear the guide without difficulty. These features are not simply conveniences. They help Karen stay involved in her work, enjoy everyday activities, and communicate with greater confidence. “My new hearing devices have really helped with my confidence because I can hear so much better,” she said. “Overall, I just feel more normal, if you will.” A Team Celebrating Every Step Technology has played an important role in Karen’s progress, but so has the care surrounding it. Karen describes Dr. Hannah Dearth and Dr. Katie Brown as encouraging, patient, and kind throughout her cochlear implant journey. As her hearing improved, they celebrated each new milestone alongside her. “When I got my cochlear implant, every time I made progress, they were cheerleading me on,” she said. She also remembers what happened after she purchased a new iPhone and could not get it working properly with her hearing devices. The Johnson Audiology team initially emailed instructions, but when Karen still had difficulty, they invited her to come into the office. Christian, a Johnson Audiology, audiology assistant, patiently reviewed the settings on her phone and made sure everything was connected correctly. “He didn’t make this Boomer feel silly that I was needing all this technical help,” Karen said. That experience reflects what Karen values most about the team: she never feels rushed or dismissed. “They always answer all of my questions and make me feel like I am their one and only patient for the entire day,” she said. More Than Hearing Better Karen’s journey has not been about achieving perfect hearing. It has been about discovering how much more may be possible with the right combination of technology, professional care and continued support. For Karen, progress sounds like a phone call streaming clearly into her hearing devices. It sounds like a tour guide speaking from 20 feet away. It sounds like music playing in a busy restaurant—and still being able to understand the person across the table. Most of all, it feels like greater confidence and a renewed ability to participate in the personal and professional moments that matter to her. “I feel so fortunate to have been connected with Johnson Audiology,” Karen said. “Everything has been so wonderful on this journey to better hearing.” Karen will soon share more of her experience in an upcoming Johnson Audiology patient testimonial video. Watch for the opportunity to hear her story in her own words.