Discussion Group for Better Hearing
Who We Are:
We are SaddleBrooke residents who recognize the need in our community for a caring place of support and education for those experiencing hearing loss and those beginning to research this topic for themselves or a loved one.
What We Do:
(1) Discuss issues we face, learn tips and solutions, receive handout educational materials, and offer guidance and encouragement. Occasionally, an audiology doctoral student from the University of Arizona will be a guest, also hearing technology reps.
(2) Submit articles for the SaddleBrooke newspapers covering hearing loss topics and personal testimonials from members of our community about their hearing loss journey.
(3) Sponsor periodic “Hearing Night Out” community-wide presentations by local audiologists.
(4) Advocate for better technical support in SaddleBrooke facilities for those living with hearing loss.
Meetings:
Meetings are held the second Friday monthly at 10 a.m. in the Sonoran Room at the MountainView clubhouse.
Questions:
Jennifer Jefferis at [email protected] or Lyle Larson at [email protected]
Did You Know?
• Only one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.
• Hearing loss has been shown to negatively impact nearly every dimension of the human experience, including physical health, emotional and mental health, perceptions of mental acuity, social skills, family relationships, and self-esteem.
• New findings linking cognitive decline to even minimal hearing loss suggest that we could do a lot to protect our brains if we protect our hearing.
• Hearing loss is now known to be the largest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia, exceeding that of smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, and social isolation.
Taken from The New York Times article “For Better Brain Health, Preserve Your Hearing” and The Hearing Loss Association of America.
Have You Heard About Our Website?
Tim Gaule
In this month’s article I would like to introduce you to our website. The website address is www.sbhearingdiscussiongroup.com. We hope that the members of the SaddleBrooke community will find this website helpful.
As you explore the website, you will find that it has several helpful pages. The main page has a reminder of our monthly meetings at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of every month in the Sonoran Room. It is followed by a page that briefly discusses our group.
The Events page lists upcoming events. In addition to our monthly discussion group meetings, we will list any community-wide presentations that we have scheduled. We usually try to schedule these presentations during the fall and winter months. We hope to have a couple of presentations in early 2025, so watch for announcements on this page.
Our Articles page has many short articles on hearing loss. A recent article discusses “The Challenges of Holiday Gatherings for the Hearing Impaired.” Other articles discuss topics such as tinnitus, communicating with a hearing-impaired partner, adjusting to new hearing aids, alarms for the hearing-impaired, hearing loops, and why you should visit the audiologist first. We are always looking for suggestions for new articles. If you have a suggestion or would like to write an article, contact me at [email protected].
Our next page contains several members’ stories shared by members of our group. In one story Lyle Larson shares his wife’s story. His wife is Jen Jefferis who started our group. In his story, Dick Kroese discusses how his audiologist referred him to the VA where he has received very good support for his hearing loss. There are several other stories, so check them out. Contact us if you have a story to share!
Next there is a page on Auracast, which I believe one day will provide a low-cost alternative to the hearing loop. Auracast won’t have the installation issues of the loop and will provide a better assistive listening experience. There are links to several articles about Auracast on this page, and we plan to add more links as updates are available.
We also have a page that has links to several websites focused on hearing loss. A couple examples are ALOHA, which is a hearing loss association in Tucson, and Dr. Cliff, who is an audiologist in the Phoenix area. Dr. Cliff has more than 1,500 videos on hearing loss. Also, be sure to check out the link to Hearing Tracker for their product reviews.
Finally, we have recently started a page on “quiet” restaurants. On this page we have a link to SoundPrint. This site is a helpful guide to sound levels at area restaurants. You can download the SoundPrint app through the iOS App Store or Google Play.
If you have comments regarding this article, my contact email is [email protected]. For more information about the meetings, contact Jennifer Jefferis at [email protected] or Lyle Larson at [email protected].