Newsletter February 2022

Selma Becker, Senior Hearing Aid Audiologist

A very warm welcome to you all.  And a warm welcome to our new member of staff, Nikki Benson! A real find, we are delighted that Nikki was able to join us just before Christmas as our new ENT trained Aural Practitioner. It is great to see our team expanding and business booming, particularly since the quieter lockdown times in the last two years.

We have finally caught up with a great number of our clients and we are still encouraging anyone who hasn’t been in for a while to book to see us. Don’t forget any New Year Resolution you or a family member may have made to book a hearing check! Indeed, we are holding an Open Week 14th – 18th February to encourage people to arrange a visit to see the team.  We are still operating under a strict Covid protocol, but we are so well practised now, that it really is the new “normal”. We are here to help you, so please do give Natalya a call and she will book you in 0345 2220579. Or send an email.

A big thank you to all our clients for supporting our Virtual Christmas raffle – we can’t believe we raised £1,100 for Hearing Dogs!  We love fundraising for “relevant” charities which is why we decided to sponsor the Atlantic Row to raise money for Dementia,  featured in our news pages.  Kevin gave a presentation recently to the Beaconsfield 41 Club who donated £100 for  Dementia UK. A big thank you to the 21 Club! If you go to any clubs who are looking for speakers, please do remember that our audiologists have a great portfolio of interesting topics.

I know many people already have their favoured charities, but we were wondering which events our readers would attend/ enjoy the most, now that group gatherings are beginning to happen again.

A quick opinion poll

When you get a moment perhaps you could email me – gilly@helpinhearing.co.uk with your top choice out of the following four options. Which of these would you prefer:

1. A Quiz Night
2. A talk by one of the audiologists
3. A talk by one of our affiliated charities
4. Summer afternoon tea in the practice garden – as a social – or with a talk!

I hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to getting feedback and seeing you all in practice!

Jono Heale, an ex-musician and Director of ACS Custom

Following on from the success of our previous two virtual events we are delighted to announce our next one:

TALKING TINNITUS  Tuesday February 8th 2022 12.00 -1.00pm

Join us to hear a presentation about the latest BTA funded research, including information on studies that look at the effects of Covid on people with tinnitus.

As part of Tinnitus Week, we are delighted to invite you to our free Virtual Hearing Event with guest speakers David Stockdale, CEO of the British Tinnitus Association (BTA), who will reflect on the work of the BTA and its current funded research into finding a cure; and Jono Heale, an ex-musician and Director of ACS Custom who will talk about his own personal tinnitus experience and the importance of noise protection.

Tinnitus is surprisingly common. In the UK, it is thought that more than 1 in 8 people experience some form of tinnitus. It often goes hand in hand with stress and in recent months the BTA say that nearly half of UK sufferers believe that Covid has made their condition worse. Our virtual event is an opportunity to find out the facts, to hear more about the BTA support and their funded research, as well as the chance to hear a first-hand account of a tinnitus journey. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the presentation, giving you time to talk directly to our guest speakers.

To register your interest, simply click here to complete our registration form and we will be in touch with the necessary details.

Book to see our team during Open Week 

You are invited to our special Help in Hearing Open Week

14^th – 18^th February 2022

Book your place, by appointment only

We want to make sure that your hearing is at its best so if it’s been a while since we’ve seen you, don’t miss out on memorable moments – book your next hearing test and find out about the latest hearing aid technology – from custom made in-the-ear rechargeable devices to behind-the-ear self-charging aids, we can find the best solution for you.

• Try out new aids – take up our offer of a free two-week trial.
• Make the most of your time with your audiologist, and also book a complimentary Bluetooth connection tutorial.
• Free servicing of aids to ensure optimum performance and prolong their lifespan.
• Ear-health assessment to check for wax – our microsuction wax removal appointments are reduced to £59 during our Open Week (normally £89).
• Recommend a friend – we are offering free hearing tests during our Open Week for any friends and family (normally £60).
• Half price full hearing assessment for new clients (normally £120) with a 2-week hearing aid trial.

Call today to book an appointment 0345 2220579. Or Email here

Spotlight on….Dementia UK

Dementia UK provides specialist support for families through the Admiral Nurse service, named by the family of Joseph Levy CBE BEM, who founded the charity. Joseph had vascular dementia and was known affectionately as “Admiral Joe” because of his love of sailing.

When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them. They give the compassionate one-to-one support, guidance and practical solutions people need. The charity says that it provides “a lifeline helping families to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.”

They believe that everyone who needs the support of a specialist dementia nurse should get one, and they are working hard to increase the number of Admiral Nurses across the UK. If you are looking for information or advice about Dementia or Alzheimers, call the Dementia Helpline free on 0800 8886678. This is open from 9-9 Monday to Friday and 9-5 Saturday and Sunday. To find our more click here to take a look at their website 

Difficulty hearing speech risk factor for dementia – another new study published 

Research has shown that assisting hearing difficulties in mid-life could help a person maintain their brain function as they get older and might also reduce their risk of dementia. Published on 21st July, a new study led by University of Oxford with over 82,000 participants has shown that difficulty hearing spoken conversations is associated with up to 91% increased risk of dementia. This study was featured on the Today programme. If anyone is interested in catching up on the story here is a link – skip forward to 2hrs55 mins (last 5 minutes of the show).

Please do alert your friends and family to the issue of how helping hearing can help brain function. Call 0345 2220579 or email us to book an appointment.

We often send out client satisfaction surveys to be sure we are keeping up our gold standard service. We would like to thank our clients for taking the time to feedback to us.  We’d love to hear from you, so please email us if you’d like to provide feedback or a testimonial about our service.

If you have been delighted with the services that we offer, we would really appreciate it if you could click and review us on one of these links below. It is a simple process – you just need to your email or facebook login passwords at hand – or take a look at our instructions here:  https://www.helpinhearing.co.uk/review

Just click on one of the links, depending on which practice you visit.

help in hearing farnham common – Google Search

help in hearing marlow – Google Search

https://m.facebook.com/HelpInHearing/

Thank you!

“I have had a good experience with Kevin Jeffery’s guidance to using hearing aids. This is a difficult step but his advice was very helpful/. It felt safe in terms of Covid and the customer service was very good”.

I was highly recommended Help in Hearing and I got a great service. I definitely felt safe and the level of customer service was very good”

It was a very friendly and efficient service, I felt very safe and the level of customer service was very good.

“Always prompt, polite and kind attention. All the necessary precautions are always met in terms of Covid. I always see Kevin in Marlow, who is invariably welcoming, caring and efficient.”

“Good personal attention and skill. Felt very safe. Both Selma and her reception staff are professional and extremely helpful.”

“Excellent, professional, friendly help. Complete trust in Selma. Always receive good answers to questions, could not manage easily without her help over many years.”

“A visit to help in hearing proved to be invaluable made to feel comfortable, result of procedure was excellent, careful care & attention to hearing problem. The world of clear hearing is once again a lovely feeling. Thanks for a pleasant experience.”

“I have always used Help in Hearing and even though now we live in Staffordshire, continue to do so. For any hearing issues I would always contact them and have done in the past which may well have saved my one good ear.”

“While the devices are not cheap to buy and the cost of the consultation is to be considered, I believe that Help in Hearing gives value for money in minimising the inconvenience of hearing loss.”

An interview with Debbie Perry, a client who sees Kevin in Marlow 

“You hadn’t had a good night unless your ears were ringing!” says our client Debbie Perry, suggesting that loud music might be one of the reasons she developed chronic Tinnitus and reduced hearing in her early 20’s. She also worked in fringe theatre, having trained at Drama School, and at one point in her early career she was even exposed to close-up gunshot.

Debbie’s hearing loss journey has taken her from despair to delight, as she talks to us about how our Marlow based audiologist Kevin Jeffery has made a huge difference – giving her hearing hope, support, and motivation.

With moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and severe very high frequency loss, Debbie started wearing hearing aids in 2001. Unfortunately, her early audiology experiences left her believing her hearing was a lot worse than it was. “My hearing was so poorly managed, and I had no idea what was possible at the time. I was left feeling that nothing more could be done”.

Increasingly Isolated

She felt very isolated and having completed a teacher training certificate part-time while her son Joe was growing up, she was ready to return to work, but the idea worried her. As she says: “I couldn’t concentrate or listen properly, as I didn’t actually believe I could hear. I was hooked up to so many devices to enable me to study that I never thought it would be possible to go out to teach. I had become dependent on my family and was feeling low and isolated. I really didn’t feel I was able to work, and I had stopped socialising”.

In 2014, Debbie’s husband Mike, who has always been a fantastic support, persuaded her that it was time to seek further help. So, she googled “I need help to hear” – and found our number! Although initially sceptical and nervous due to her previous experiences, Debbie soon came to realise that our audiologist Kevin Jeffery would be a positive, stabilising factor in her return to hearing.

Hearing Really Matters

She comments: “Kevin has such a wonderful ability to listen. He is so “deaf aware” which is not something I had ever experienced before. He worked with me to gradually rebuild my confidence, making me feel that my hearing really matters. He has been so generous with his time, his experience, his advice, and his endless patience. I never take his time for granted and I am so very grateful”.

Kevin fitted Debbie with Phonak aids which worked so well for her that not only did she return to work as a teacher in 2016, but she also enrolled in further studies two years later, this time taking a Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology. Says Debbie: “When I started wearing the aids that Kevin had recommended and programmed for me, it was as if someone had woken me up and put me back in the world. If you don’t hear certain sounds for a while, you forget they exist. It was amazing!”

 Always Supportive

Her confidence was also boosted by knowing that if she had any problems with her hearing, she now had someone to turn to. She found group situations at university difficult, so Kevin suggested accessories to further enhance her hearing. Initially she tried the Roger Pen, but it didn’t give her the help she needed. So, Kevin moved her on to the Roger Select which she loves and still uses for her group teaching, her own studying, listening to music and podcasts.  He also recommended the Phonak landline at home and the Widex drying box for reducing moisture in the aids, both of which have become essential add-ons for Debbie.

Debbie is now very positive about her hearing. She says: “I have been so inspired by Kevin that I want to help other people too. His love of helping people achieve their hearing potential is something that has pushed me along on my own journey”. Debbie is even planning to take her studies further, focusing on the emotional side of hearing loss and the importance of “brain hearing”.

In conclusion, Debbie, who decorates her aids to remind people she is wearing them, puts it very nicely: “I believe that hearing loss doesn’t have to be a negative experience – it can be a time for learning and appreciation too. I really want people to feel they can be empowered by the journey back to good hearing. Being a client at Help in Hearing has been such a joyful and fun experience that I have really enjoyed the whole process”.