News Archives - Help in Hearing

News

Local Litter Pick venture for the Team
You may have noticed the girls from Help in Hearing out Litter Picking locally. As we drive to work every day, we have noticed increased rubbish tipping around the Beeches and the edge of Farnham Common village. So, armed with some long arm grabbers and sturdy bin bags, on 13th May we put on our High Vis tabards and donned our gloves. It had rained all day but at 5.00pm the grey clouds disappeared for a short while.

From the practice in Blackpond Lane we walked up to the High Street where the kind people at Costa offered us a free hot drink. We didn’t stop but it was very kind and showed a real community spirit. We headed down Green lane and then along the edge of the Beeches back to Southmead Clinic. Our bags were surprisingly heavy after an hour so we felt it was well worth doing. We hope to do another litter pick when the weather picks up. Watch this space!
News

TV Streaming Demonstrations in our Clinics and Special Offer!
Over the last year, TV watching has of course been at the top of the list of things to do. If you have had any problems hearing the TV with your hearing aids, you might like to book in for a one-to-one streaming workshop in our clinic rooms? Selma, Kevin and Wendy can demonstrate how TV listening can be improved with the latest up-to-date streaming technology.

What’s more, anyone who buys a new pair of hearing aids between May 1^st and July 1^st will be offered a complimentary TV Connector worth up to £250. Call to book in 03452220579. Or email us: mail@helpinhearing.co.uk

To find out more about how TV streamers work, take a look at one of our recent blogs
Competitions, News

My “Help In Hearing” Photo Competition – win a delightful Goose & Berry Hamper!
To celebrate the journey out of lockdown we are running a photo competition from May 1^st to August 31^st. The theme of the competition is “My Help in Hearing” and the person to send in the best photo will win a luxury hamper created for us by local company Goose & Berry , and kindly donated by Signia, who will also independently choose the winners. There will also be a runners-up prize of a smaller goodie hamper.

The Joy of Hearing

Think of an example of something that makes you happy that your hearing has been helped. Perhaps you didn’t used to be able to hear the birds singing, or perhaps you love hearing the laughter of your grandchildren, or the dog barking? Whether it’s listening to laughter, a symphony, ocean waves, or a child’s first words, hearing keeps us engaged and connected to the world around us. According to AARP**, optimism and a positive outlook add 7.5 years to our life and an 80% reduction in cardiovascular risk.

Email your photos here with My “Help in Hearing” Photo Competition in the subject, together with confirmation that you are happy for us to feature your photo/s in our next newsletter, website and social media. Or, you can send your photo/s in the post to: Photo Competition, Help in Hearing, Blackpond Lane, Farnham Common SL2 3ER, once again with a note inside to say you are happy for us to use the photo as above.

We look forward to seeing them and sharing them with you!

** source: Disrupt Aging, AARP.org
News

Successful Virtual Hearing Event
In March we held our first ever Virtual Hearing Event. At Help in Hearing, we know the past year has been hard, especially for those with hearing loss and we were delighted so many of you were able to join our Zoom webinar.

Conversations, communication and socialising are fundamental to our overall health and wellbeing, so it is not surprising that hearing loss can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Hearing well has never been so important to ensure we stay connected with our friends, families and the community around us. This was the main focus of the seminar – and a reminder that…….

Help in Hearing is open and we’re here to help

We are now seeing many of our clients face to face but if you missed the seminar and would like to catch up on what was said, here is the link:

Watch here

Seminar delegates were entered into a prize draw to win a pair of Livio Edge AI hearing aids* (terms & conditions applied) and we are delighted to announce that our winner is Mr John Landon of Bledlow Ridge.

Congratulations John (seen here with our audiologist Wendy Davies) – we hope you will enjoy wearing them!

Help in Hearing Virtual Hearing Event 25th March 2021 Prize Draw Terms & Conditions

How to enter
1. By registering and attending our Online Hearing Event on March 24^th, your details will automatically be entered into our prize draw.
2. Any attempted entries received after that date will not be accepted.
3. Our prize draw is free to enter. By entering the prize draw, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you have any questions, please contact events@helpinhearing.co.uk
The Prize
1. The prize is a free hearing assessment, a pair of Starkey Livio AI hearing aids with a 4-year warranty and free fitting. Any follow up appointments after the first 60 days of fitting will be charged on a “Pay As You Go” basis. (Our appointment charges are clearly listed on our website at the bottom of this page: www.helpinhearing.co.uk/home/services/hearing-aid-pricing/)
2. After fitting, the option to sign up to our Hearingplan Care Scheme will be available. The monthly direct debit is £25 and covers the cost of all ongoing appointments and hearing aid accessory items. (See Hearingplan terms and conditions for further information: www.helpinhearing.co.uk/home/services/personal-treatment-plan/).
3. Help in Hearing refuse to award the prize to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions.
Eligibility
1. The draw is open to all delegates joining the online event except employees of Help in Hearing, their families, agents or any third party directly associated with the administration of the prize draw.
2. Entrants under 18 must get consent from their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) before registering. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of entrants under 18 agree to these Terms and Conditions on behalf of the entrant.
3. Only one “entry” per person is permitted. There is only one prize of one pair of hearing aids.
The Draw
1. A winner will be chosen by random, drawn manually by Selma Becker, MD of Help in Hearing, within 24 hours of the Event.
2. The winner will be notified by email or telephone (using details provided at entry) and an appointment will be made. If the prize is not taken up within 2 weeks of being chosen, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited, and Help in Hearing will be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above.
3. The prize is non-exchangeable for any other hearing aid. If the winner decides they do not want the prize after all then the aids will be returned to Help in Hearing who will be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above.
4. The prize is transferable if the winner wishes to nominate a suitable recipient. This nomination must be made within 2 weeks of the winner being notified.
5. There is no cash alternative offered.
6. The decision of Help in Hearing regarding any aspect of the prize draw is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into about it.
7. Help in Hearing reserves the right to hold void, cancel, suspend, or amend the promotion where it becomes necessary to do so.
Limitation of liability

17. Insofar as is permitted by law, Help in Hearing, and its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up the prize. Statutory rights are however not affected.

Data protection and publicity

18. Help in Hearing is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and will only use your personal information in accordance with our data protection policy which is available to view on our website: www.helpinhearing.co.uk/data-protection-obligations-gdpr-legislation/

19. By entering, you are agreeing that any personal information provided by you with your entry may be held and used by Help in Hearing (but not its agents or distributors) to administer the prize. The winner’s name will be announced in person to the winner but will also be stated in follow-up promotion of the competition. The winner’s permission will be sought with regards to a promotional photograph of the prize presentation.
News

Tinnitus Awareness Week
Tinnitus Week 2021 will run from 1st to 7th of February and will tackle the issues of accessing treatment and support from GP’s.

At the end of March 2020 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published new guidance for GP’s on how to support patients with Tinnitus. However the British Tinnitus Association are very concerned that this new guidance may have been missed with the onset of Covid19. They plan to engage with GP’s when possible as well as patient support groups, healthcare associations, politicians and people with Tinnitus to generate ideas to ensure the NICE guidance is used.

The BTA are also running a new social media a campaign #ThisIsMySilence to drive awareness of the impact of Tinnitus. They are asking people with Tinnitus to get involved with the new campaign by sharing a photo and words on social media channels to explain to others the effect of Tinnitus.

As a hidden condition, people without tinnitus do not truly understand the huge impact it can have on someone’s life. It can effect the ability to get a peaceful night’s sleep, to concentrate, or just to enjoy silence. Tinnitus can and does have a huge impact on mental health and if awareness of this impact on people’s lives can be increase, the more likely the BTA will be successful in making tinnitus research funding an urgent priority.

Get involved

So, from 1 February to 7 February it’s simple. Choose a photo. Choose your words. The BTA say: “Be as honest and open as you like to explain your tinnitus – or the tinnitus of those you care about – to others. You can tag in friends, family, celebrities. The sky’s the limit. Our message is “Let’s get our voices heard this Tinnitus Week”

Get involved with #ThisIsMySilence – use the hashtags #ThisIsMySilence and #TinnitusWeek on social media posts and then share and like as many posts as possible. To find out more contact the BTA or call their online support team on 0800 0180527.

At Help in Hearing we offer Tinnitus management and we also run a gold standard Support Group, which is currently not meeting due to covid19 restrictions but will eventually start up again.

Call freephone 0345 2220579 for information or email us mail@helpinhearing.co.uk
News

Recycling Hearing Aids
The World Health Organization (WHO) state that around 466million people worldwide have a disabling hearing loss and 34 million of these are children.

In the UK, those with hearing loss are easily able to access hearing health care and hearing aids but 80% of people with hearing loss live in low or middle income countries and are unable to afford to purchase hearing aids. Additionally, hearing care can be scarce with few audiologists available to test hearing and provide assistance.

Untreated hearing loss can affect development of speech and language and the ability to obtain and keep a job, potentially leading to poverty.

There are several charities who provide hearing support to developing countries and Help in Hearing have been collecting unwanted hearing aids for two charities for a number of years. The Lions Club and The Starkey Foundation, both of whom collect unwanted hearing aids, refurbish them and send them to developing countries to be fitted to those with hearing loss.

We recently sent this large box of unwanted devices to The Starkey Foundation.

Founded in 1984, The Starkey Foundation mission is to make hearing healthcare service accessible for people around the world. To date, they have helped those with hearing loss in over 100 countries.

The Foundation support the instigation of hearing centres and provide training for local hearing health workers in how to identify hearing loss and fit the donated hearing aids.

To read more about the Starkey Foundation, go to https://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/About-Us

Hearing aids can be donated by sending them direct to The Lions or The Starkey Foundation clearly marked as “donated hearing aids”.

For The Lions Club, go to their website www.lionsclubs.org to find your local donation site or for The Starkey Foundation, post to The Starkey Foundation, Starkey Technologies, William F Austin House, Pepper Rd, Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 5BX
News

Countdown to Christmas……Kevin’s Favourite Recipe
With Christmas round the corner we thought we would share a favourite festive recipe with you. Our audiologist Kevin Jeffery (seen here sporting a brussel sprout shirt) loves to cook and he is kindly sharing with us his special recipe for Chestnut Stuffing!

Kev’s Chestnut Stuffing

This was my Mum’s recipe at Christmas. It was the one thing I looked forward to more than the Turkey and rich gravy. I now must make it myself every year and even have a tradition that if I am going to friends or family…I will bring the chestnut stuffing. Not so much a tradition but a demand! I usually make it on Christmas eve and leave it in the fridge to develop so it’s ready to go on Christmas day!

I have no idea about amounts in grams. Ounces. etc as it is always eyeballed! But you can’t really go wrong with it….? Serves 4 with some left over.

INGREDIENTS: Sausage Meat (either a packet of or a packet of good quality sausages)

1 small onion finely chopped

2-3 cloves of Garlic, 1 if very large cloves

Half a slice of bread. White or Brown is fine

Stuffing mix. (Yes Paxo Sage & Onion is perfect)

Chestnut puree (half a packet) I use the Merchant Gourmet one that you can buy in the supermarkets or online

Roasted Chestnuts (half a packet) chopped into quarters. Again, I use the Merchant Gourmet one

Butter, Pepper, Mixed Herbs

METHOD: Begin by either breaking/squishing down the sausage meat in a bowl or removing the skins from a packet of sausages and do the same.

Add the chopped onion, garlic, good pinch of pepper, half a teaspoon of mixed herbs, Chestnut puree, quartered Chestnuts, about 2 dessert spoons of stuffing mix. Add the bread broken into small pieces – not breadcrumbs but more smallish flakes.

Mix it all well together. There is only one way to do this and that is with your hands. Mixing, squishing and getting everything combined. If it becomes too soft and mushy then add more stuffing mix and a little more bread. Conversely if it is very dry then add more chestnut puree, or a tiny amount of water.

Once all combined, place into a suitable oven proof dish greased with butter (there needs to be about an inch in thickness of stuffing mix, so it does not dry out). Spread evenly and press it into the dish and then prick it with a fork. Cover with cling film and place it in the fridge until needed. Ideally overnight. You can always wrap it in cling film if you intend to put it into the turkey on Christmas day…. I never have, however. On the big day of cooking. Take it out of the fridge at least half hour prior to putting in the oven, cling film removed of course! Put half a dozen small pieces of chilled butter over the top and around the sides.

Place it in the oven at around 180C for about 40-45 minutes until browned on top and cooked through. Anywhere in a fan oven is ok, or higher racks in a conventional oven. Once cooked, cover with foil to keep warm and serve either small wedges, or just a good spoonful dolloped next to the Turkey. It is just as good the next day served cold with pickles etc.

Hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas.

Kevin.
News

Super Charged for Christmas
Don’t miss out on those magic moments – consider rechargeable hearing aids for Christmas!

Rechargeable hearing aids remove the need to remember to take spares with you wherever you go for regular battery changes. Like all electronic devices, hearing aids need a power source to run them. Traditionally this has been a small cell style battery that lasts between 2 and 7 days depending on the product and usage. This fairly short battery life span means that hearing aid wearers need to manage their battery supplies and ensure that they always have batteries with them. Although modern hearing aids do emit a warning beep when the battery is getting low, this may only be as little as one hour’s notice so it’s best to keep a spare to hand in case a battery expires when you need to hear most.

For hearing aid wearers, the experience of changing a battery can range from being straight forward, to a regular irritation or a fiddly, time consuming affair for those with dexterity limitations. So, in this world full of rechargeable devices, such as phones, toothbrushes and vacuum cleaners to name just a few, why don’t we use rechargeable hearing aids?

Hearing aids with rechargeable batteries have been around for some time, the first models came onto the market over 10 years ago. While they were a great step forward, battery charge was limited, often not lasting for a whole day resulting in wearers having to resort to using a traditional zinc-air battery to get them through to bedtime. This type of rechargeable battery lasts less than a year before requiring replacement. Take up of these rechargeable batteries was understandably low and so manufacturers went back to the drawing board to find a better solution.

Lithium-ion Revolution

In 2016, the first hearing aids powered by lithium-ion power cells came to the market. This is the technology that powers Tesla cars, Smart phones and now hearing aids. Lithium-Ion is very low maintenance. Wearers will experience up to 24 hours from a single charge and each Lithium-ion power cell can last up to 5 years before needing to be replaced.

The complete hearing aid is placed into a charger unit overnight and in as little as 3 hours they are again fully charged and ready to go. Some models come with a portable charging case that can itself recharge the hearing aids 2 or 3 times without having to be connected to the mains.

Lithium-Ion hearing aids are now in their 2nd generation meaning that the technology has proven to be successful in delivering a full day usage from a single charge. Wearers have been delighted with the hassle free concept of no longer having to regularly change their hearing aid battery. Instead they simply place it on charge along with their phone before going to bed.

The icing on the cake is that these Lithium-ion products are also packed with the latest in hearing aid features and technology.

To learn more about rechargeable hearing aids, please contact us for an appointment.
News

Countdown to Christmas – Keep your hearing and ears in tip top condition
Look out every day for our Advent Calendar stories – a door will open on a new topic each day – from our favourite carols and recipes to positive Christmas thoughts and useful ideas.

We know that Christmas may be different this year, but what is certain is spending time with loved ones (whether in person or virtually) will still be a top priority. Ensure that you don’t miss out on festive conversations by booking a hearing assessment today .

From now until mid January we are offering new clients half price hearing tests as a special festive gift.

Our Christmas Opening times:

Closed 1.00pm December 24th Christmas Eve

Re-open Tuesday 29th & Wednesday 30th December

(normal working hours)

Closed 1.00pm Thursday December 31st New Year’s Eve

Re-open from January 4th 2021

(normal working hours)
News

Tips for Enjoying Christmas with a hearing loss
Christmas is fast approaching and most of us have started to think about shopping and festive preparations.

Although this year will be a little different to normal due to COVID restrictions, we do not want hearing loss to interfere with enjoying your day.

Here are a few tips to ensure you have a Happy Christmas:
1. Do you need hearing aids? If you are having problems hearing conversation or television, now is the time to book a hearing assessment and try some hearing aids ready from Christmas. From now until mid January we are offering new clients half price hearing tests as a special festive gift.
2. Hearing aids need to be regularly cleaned. Wax guards and domes need to be replaced at least every 8 weeks. Spares can be purchased from us or we can arrange to check and clean your hearing aids for you. We can do this while you wait, no need to come in as long as you have reserved a slot with us.
3. Television Streamers. We don’t want to have problems hearing the Queen’s Speech. Many hearing aids can be paired with a device that sends the sound from the TV directly into the hearing aids. Call for information and a trial.
4. We know that Christmas may be different this year, but what is certain is spending time with loved ones (whether in person or virtually) will still be a top priority. Ensure that you don’t miss out on festive conversations by booking a hearing assessment today .
From now until mid January we are offering new clients half price hearing tests as a special festive gift.

Call 0345 2220579 or email mail@helpinhearing.co.uk

Blog

Get involved

Don’t miss out on those magic moments – consider rechargeable hearing aids for Christmas!

Lithium-ion Revolution