We got in touch with Andrew Goodwin from Clean Ears who started his business this year. Andrew is determined to help residents in care homes gain access to vital ear and hearing healthcare services by using the Tympa System.
How did you start your journey using the Tympa system?
“My journey started around three years ago, where TympaHealth CEO & Founder, Dr Krishan Ramdoo contacted me and showed me the Tympa System which was still in its prototype stage. I was absolutely blown away by it!
Fast-forward three more years, my wife and I had moved down to the south coast, and I realised that there was this incredible opportunity to start delivering ear and hearing healthcare. I still have my full-time job from Mondays to Thursdays, which frees me up to work on my own business on Friday’s. It’s been a fantastic opportunity for me, as I always wanted to use the Tympa System.”
What is the benefit of delivering ear and hearing health check-ups with Tympa vs another method?
“One thing I really wanted to do was to help people in care homes and having a system which is extremely portable, is a game changer. I can go anywhere I like with the Tympa System. There are plenty of care homes around me and having a portable system, makes my life so much easier. When I turn up with the kit, it is interesting seeing the residents faces, but once the system is all setup, you have a professional clinical setup which looks fantastic.”
Residential care is clearly important for you, why have you focused on this area?
“I live in Eastbourne, East Sussex and there are roughly 40 care homes in the area and around the surrounding areas there are plenty more. Access to ear care in residential homes is a big problem. There are a lot of people who aren’t having their ears checked on a regular basis and as a result have to wait on a very long waiting list. It’s clear that there is an opportunity to help people right now with Tympa, instead of them waiting for several months. Most residents’ families when presented with the choice between waiting for months or being seen immediately by me, all said that they would rather pay for their family member to be seen straight away.”
Do you think residents of care homes have enough access to ear and hearing healthcare services?
“At present, there is not enough being done. I have been working with a local charity over the past six years trying to raise awareness about hearing loss in care homes. When asking care home Directors and Managers if they ask their residents about suffering from hearing loss, most of them answered – no!
To try and get an audiologist to come into a care home is very challenging and that is why I want to help care homes and residents out as much as I can.”
You have recently launched your new business ‘Clean Ears’, how have you found it so far?
Clean Ears has been live for a month now. I always knew it was going to be a slow start because I have got to build relationships with others in my area and that is something that is not easy to do. You can’t just send off an email and that’s it, you need to make sure that you are active in other ways such as creating your own website and being active on social media.
Of course, I am concentrating primarily on care homes, but what I have also started to do is focus on elderly people in their own homes who aren’t in a care home.
I am lucky that I have a full-time job as well, so that alleviates some pressure enabling me to take my time to do things right. I am currently speaking to people in the local council who are in contact with care homes and am now in the process of setting up meetings with them.
What has been great so far is that there has been a keen interest from people once I approach them.”
What has been your biggest triumph so far?
“A Care home in Brighton contacted me out of the blue which felt great as I only just started my business. There were two elderly ladies that were desperate to be seen as they had been on a waiting list for around six months! One of the ladies was 102 years old, she had very poor hearing even with hearing aids on. There was so much wax in one ear, which took around 30 minutes to clear out. After I was finished, she was able to hear much better, which made it all worthwhile.”
What has been your favourite thing about the Tympa System?
“I absolutely love the fact that the screen is very clear and really easy to see. I have also managed to hook this up to a TV which gives people the opportunity to see their own ears and the looks on their faces is brilliant. It really is simple to use. It took me a little while to get used to holding it but after the training sessions, it became easier each time.”
Have you got any advice for others who are starting their own business?
“I guess the biggest thing is, you’ve got to know your audience. Who you are going to target and how you are going to reach them in order to help them.
Right from the very beginning. I knew who I wanted to try and help and why I wanted to help them. There is also a high demand in the area which makes it a sustainable business.”
Do you have any plans for the future?
“This first calendar year will be made on building up awareness of the business. The hope is that by this time next year, I will have somebody else working with me. The goal is that every year, I would employ someone else to work in my team as ‘Clean Ears’ seeks to work with care homes across the entire Sussex area.
As my business grows, I see my role in ‘Clean Ears’ focussing more on developing the business than actually doing the microsuction on patients which is going to be a strange thing to do as I really enjoy that part and I do have a fascination with ear wax.”
For more information on Clean Ears – please take a look at the below:
Expand your domiciliary care service with Tympa
