One of Jennifer Abbott’s first clients wore his hearing aids for only about a year before he died. But something his son told her has stayed with her throughout her career. During that final year, father and son had been able to enjoy long conversations and feel more connected.
“Those conversations meant so much to his family, and it’s a reminder of the difference hearing care can make in someone’s everyday life,” said Abbott, owner of Hear at Home.
The business has been shortlisted for the North Vancouver Chamber’s 2026 Business Excellence Awards in the Service Excellence category.
For Abbott, the recognition acknowledges a team whose work often happens quietly, helping clients navigate circumstances that can make accessing care difficult. “Everybody works so hard and cares so much about our clients,” she said. “They will do what they can to go above and beyond, often in ways that people outside the clinic never see.”
Abbott’s interest in hearing care began when her daughter was young, and the family lived near Grant MacEwan in Edmonton, which offered a hearing program. After working for the airlines, she wanted a career change that would let her keep working with people.
After researching her options, she was drawn to helping people with hearing loss.
She launched Hear at Home in 2009 as a fully mobile hearing clinic, recognizing that some people could not get to a traditional clinic. In 2022, the business opened a North Vancouver location, giving clients the choice of visiting the clinic or receiving care at home.
Today, its services include hearing assessments, hearing aids, fittings, adjustments, earwax removal and ongoing support in the clinic, private homes and care communities. That flexibility also allows clients to stay with a familiar team as their circumstances change.
“Someone may come into the clinic for years and then find they can no longer drive or get out easily,” Abbott said. “We can start visiting them instead, so they can stay with the team they already know.”
The team also works with families and caregivers, allowing extra time and support where needed.
This year, Hear at Home launched Second Sound, an initiative that gives donated hearing aids a second life for people who might otherwise struggle to afford them. For the past two years, the team has also provided hearing services at the Elders Gathering, including for First Nations Elders from communities where access can be limited.
Within the business, weekly staff meetings provide time to discuss concerns, share ideas and solve problems. Abbott credits the whole team with building the relationships that lead clients to recommend the clinic to friends and family. Looking ahead, she hopes to eventually open another clinic in the Valley, with a local base for mobile visits. Being closer to clients there could reduce travel costs and mobile fees.
She also wants to continue developing Second Sound, while ensuring any expansion has the staff and support needed to maintain personal care. For Abbott, adapting to each client remains central to the business.
“Some clients can’t leave home, while others need extra time or support from family and caregivers,” she said. “We work with those needs so they can continue receiving care.”
