HEARING SUPPORT CHRISTCHURCH
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
HEARING SUPPORT
CHRISTCHURCH
275 Riccarton Road
PO Box 6460
Christchurch 8442
Telephone 03-341-6705
E-Mail - christchurch@hearing.org.nz
www.hearinginfo.co.nz
www.hearing.org.nz
www.facebook.com/hearingassociationchristchurch
Hours— Tuesday to Friday 9am-3pm
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2018
Registered under the Charities Act 2005
Registration No CC20011
Subscriptions/Donations 2018 are now due
PLEASE REMEMBER …...
That we are not funded in any way by the Government and we rely totally
on donations, subscriptions, grants and bequests in order to keep our
services going.
Thanks for your wonderful support!
Maybe you would like to consider us when making your Will. See Notice Board, later in this
publication.
Included with this Newsletter you will find your
2018 Donation/Subscription Form.
Thank you for your support and also the encouragement of many of you as we continue
our work to assist the Hearing Impaired of Canterbury.
Please note that we include space on your form for you to complete if you wish to be part
of our Email Contact Group and kept up to date with what is happening on a regular basis.
Please note that you do not need to fill this in every time you send in your subscription/
donation—but do let us know if you change your email address.
Membership discount offer!!!
Introduce a new member to the Hearing Association and we will give you $5 off your next membership
subscription.
Make sure you tell your friend to let us know who recommended them so that you get your discount!
Did you know we are now on Facebook?
This is a great platform for us as it is free exposure about us and
our services. If you already have a Facebook page we would love it if you
would LIKE our page add us to your Friends list and ask your friends and
family to LIKE us as well.
Liking a page or post helps us get Hearing Support Christchurch and our message out into
the social media community, therefore spreading the word about how we can help people
who struggle with hearing loss issues.
Disclaimer: The views or information contained in this Newsletter are not necessarily the views of the Hearing Support
Christchurch Board.
From Pauline’s Desk…… Hearing Week is coming up very soon – see more details
on the next page. Also coming up in the same week is
Happy New Year to you, our lovely Members. I hope you
the Southern Regional Meeting where all South Island
enjoyed your Festive Season and were able to relax and
branch representatives gather for an AGM and general
enjoy the fabulous weather. This summer felt more like
catch up. We always host this event and it is a
the ones I remember from my long-ago childhood with
great opportunity for branches to talk about what is
lots of long hot days and pleasant evenings. Much
happening in their areas and to provide support,
better and long may it last.
encouragement and inspiration.
Once again we chose to have a ‘stay-cation’ as we had
We have a new look Website thanks to Russell Simes our
family coming and going from late November to late
Past President, Marie and a group of volunteer students
January. It was a delight to spend time with our
from Canterbury University. This team worked hard to
Melbourne based grand-daughter who is already 7
get the new site up and running by Christmas 2017 and
months old, but very sad when they all went back home
achieved that. Have a wee look. It is still the same
again. A very busy summer holiday for us so I have come
address – www.hearinginfo.co.nz. We also have a new
back to work for a rest!! No show of that though which is
flag to reflect our recent name change to Hearing
good of course. We love to be busy delivering our
Support Christchurch (see later in newsletter).
services and helping the hearing impaired in our
community the best way we can. A rather large project for us is helping to organise
Hearing Association’s biannual Conference/AGM and
We have had some recent changes to our Board with
Front Line Conference (FLC), which is in Christchurch in
Jeanette Pateman, Felix Lai, Louise Sinden-Carroll and
May 2019. That may seem like ages away but as you
Denis Coulter resigning. I would like to record our
know, time passes quickly so we have started the ball
sincere thanks to these amazing people for all the com-
rolling by booking a venue and organising guest
bined years of service they have given to Hearing
presenters. A lot to do but this is a good start.
Support over the years. Without people like them, we
could not exist. Of special mention is Louise Sinden- So once again a busy few months are ahead of us. Of
Carroll who helped us develop suitable Governance course we still offer our usual services and offer help to
Policies that form a backbone and reference point as to those dealing with hearing loss issues. Spread the word
how the Board and Hearing Support should function. and encourage your family and friends that may struggle
with hearing loss to get in touch – we may just be able to
Another big change for the Board is that our President
help.
Russell Simes has stepped aside and Vice President
Lesley McKone has stepped into the Interim President Happy New Year from Marie
role. Russell has been an amazing President, bringing his Hope you all had a good Christ-
passion for hearing loss issues into many arenas such as mas and were able to spend time
spear-heading many projects, liaising with organisations relaxing with friends and family. I
such as the CDHB to bring about change, helping have been enjoying the lovely
develop our policies, sorting a new website and social weather and spending a lot of
media avenues and many other things too numerous to time in the garden. It was a quiet
list. A personal thanks from me to you Russell – we holiday period with not going
appreciate all your hard work and are glad you are still away anywhere which meant I
on the Board at this stage. got lots of jobs done at home. My
Committee member Glenda Martin has stepped into vegetable garden has never been
Lesley’s shoes as Interim Vice President – thanks Glenda. so productive—my courgettes quite got away on me!
As you will appreciate losing four Board members leaves As always the holidays seem to be over much too soon
quite a gap and we are actively seeking replacements. If with the office back up and running with a busy first day
you have some time to spare every other month as well on the 16th January and has been steady ever since. And
as helping with the odd project (from time to time), we “yes” it is that time again to start paying your 2018
would love to hear from you. Give me a call or send me subscriptions, so you will have all received a pink
your CV. reminder slip.
As is usual at the start of a new year we have lots to sort DON’T WORRY – I know the early birds who have
and organise with a number of things happening early already paid – I will start updating the database once
on. First up was a meeting to “put legs on” our Strategic I have got the newsletter out. ALSO REMEMBER – if you
Plan for the next five years. Late last year your Board don’t get over our way very often I am always happy to
were involved in meetings to strategically plan for the post out batteries, wax guards or other supplies – just
future of Hearing Support Christchurch. As you are well give me a call and I can give you a price over the phone.
aware things never stay the same and over my years Standard mail is quite slow now with the reduced service
working in the Sector, I have certainly seen a lot of so if you’re in a hurry you may want to consider using
changes, and we need to keep up with those changes. Fast Post (see the notice board for prices). Of course I’m
So our new Strategic Plan reflects that and over the next always happy to see you if you want to pop into the office
few years we may have quite a different focus. though!
Hearing Week 2018 –3rd-9th March loud music even though we know it causes a permanent
injury which can destroy our lives and cut us off from the
Hearing Week incorporates World Hearing Day on 3rd people we care about," he said.
March. The theme for Hearing Week 2018 is Noise
induced hearing loss (NIHL). With smartphones capable of producing volumes of up
to about 120 decibels; two hours of listening to a device
Posters will again be distributed to all local CCC libraries at 91 dB exposes hearing to the same level as working a
as well as information stands in the Upper Riccarton and shift in a noisy factory where hearing protection would
Christchurch South Libraries. Keep an eye out for them if be required by law. The International Telecommunica-
you’re in the neighbourhood. tions Union (ITU) in collaboration with WHO Develop-
ment are working on implementation of global standards
for devices which would allow for safe listening. The
standards are expected to be launched this year. WHO
have also been preparing an app (MaLiSa—an abbrevia-
tion of Make Listening Safe) that helps users learn what
safe listening is to help prevent hearing loss due to loud
sounds. The app has an integrated media player where
users can play their own music and monitor their listen-
ing levels. The software will calculate the average sound
the user has been exposed to over a 24-hour period and
show graphic details of the user’s sound allowance used.
While most workplaces are more proactive with health
and safety and provision of hearing protection we have a
lot of time outside of work where we often don’t think
about what damaging noise we are exposed to. Think
about what you do for recreation—gyms can be noisy
places, so can housework and food preparation, not to
mention DIY! Did you realise that just hammering in a
nail by hand can be as loud as 127dB? That’s as loud as a
jackhammer and you probably wouldn’t use one of those
without hearing protection! Or that a balloon popping is
as loud as some fireworks? Have a look at the table be-
low for more common potentially damaging sounds and
think about what you can do to protect your hearing.
Info from nzhearald.co.nz, www.who.int & www.hear-it.org
Hearing Support
Christchurch Common sounds to Noise Level Exposure
275 Riccarton Rd
limit (hearing
Christchurch 8041
Ph 341 6705 be aware of dB protection
Food processor/Blender/ 80-90 85dB 8hrs required in the
Our aim this year is to encourage all New Zealanders, Garbage disposal workplace)
both young and old alike, to turn their attention to the 88dB 4hrs
Hair dryer 60-95
health and longevity of their hearing. According to the 91dB 2 hrs
World Health Organisation (WHO) noise exposure is the Vacuum cleaner 60-90
biggest cause of permanent hearing damage around the Lawn mower 95+ 94dB 1 hr
world and it’s the most preventable. With noise-induced Electric saw or sander 100
hearing loss on the rise in children, studies show 97dB 30 minutes
listening to loud music can be just as addictive as Water blaster 104-113
smoking. According to a NZ study of 18-25 year old night- Weed eater 105 100dB 15 minutes
club attendees and nightclub employees (published May Leaf blower/Chain saw/ 110 112dB 1 minute
2017 in the International Journal of Environmental Baby crying
Research and Public Health) people choose to expose Squeeze/squeaky baby 110-130 115dB 30 seconds
themselves to loud music at nightclubs because loud toy
sounds makes them feel excited, socialise more, helps 118dB 15 seconds
mask both external sound and unwanted thoughts, and Ambulance siren 120
Hammer on nail 130dB 1 second
enhances personal identity. 127
Dr David Welch, head of Auckland University's audiology Balloon popping 157 >130dB 0 seconds
department, says global studies show about 14 per cent
of children may have noise induced hearing loss as a Type of Hearing Protection Required
result of prolonged exposure to personal listening Class 1
Introducing our new President—Lesley McKone
Marie has asked me to introduce myself as President of Hearing Support
Canterbury. I stepped up to the role from being Vice President when Russell
Simes, previous president, resigned. It’s a surprise to me to find myself
president and I am very grateful for the support of the board, of Russell,
Pauline our office manager and Tony national president. Our hope is that
together we will be seen in the community as a vibrant and effective resource
to the hearing impaired of Canterbury. We want to hear your stories, get your
feedback on living as hearing impaired and be there as best we can to assist
you in your everyday life.
I am a Gore born baby boomer, raised here in Christchurch, a wife, a mother
and a registered nurse, working in the area of cardiac surgery. One
qualification for the role is my own hearing loss caused by severe measles as a
child. I rely on those bi-lateral hearing aids. I enjoy walking, coffee dates,
reading Charles Dickens and the occasional trip overseas.
Introducing new board member—Tony Rush
Like many ex-servicemen of my and earlier generations, I spent too much time
close to loud noises, then several decades later denied I had a hearing problem
until forced by family and friends to face up to a hearing test. I was
awed hearing the sounds the birds made the first morning I walked outside
wearing my new hearing aids. And stereo sound rather than the dull mono to
which I was accustomed.
My business and non-profit background was in marketing and business develop-
ment. I have also been chair of two other national organisations; Keep New
Zealand Beautiful and Economic Development Association of New Zealand.
After I stepped down as CEO of Enterprise Kapiti Horowhenua, in 2006 I stood
for election to the Horowhenua District Council, and won the first of three
terms.
In 2007 my mayor Brendan Duffy asked me to represent him at the Horowhen-
ua Hearing Association’s AGM. I was, he said, the only councillor he had who
“was deaf and dumb”. We were good mates so I knew he was joking, I think.
Two years later I became the local president, and I found that I loved working
for hearing at a local level. But a few years later, around 2015, I began to wonder just what the national association
was all about and what it was doing for branches such as ours. Getting elected as a regional representative seemed
an obvious way of finding out so it was curiosity rather than any ambition that motivated me.
In early 2016 a number of my fellow regional representatives encouraged me to stand for election
as national president at the April AGM. In the end my predecessor, Stuart Keene, was ready to step aside so there
was no contest.
In the past nine months I have visited or will visit 14 branches. I am also on the committees of Christchurch and
Ashburton. I am also becoming involved positively with the National Foundation for the Deaf, Captioning Support
Group and other external organisations of importance to us. I am beginning to understand the common issues that
confront us all. The next couple of years will be crucial ones of change as we all adapt to the current environment. If
we do, we can prosper. If we don’t I fear for our future – but this is a “Watch this space” as your Board bring to you
new programmes.
I am loving the role of president, and I am very lucky Roberta, my wife of many happy decades, supports me. 2017
was a year of great personal change as a family as we left Levin to become Mainlanders to be closer to our daughter
and her family in Christchurch. But not too close. We are settled in the fishing village of Hakatere near Ashburton.
Sadly though, my role at Hearing New Zealand consumes time so I don’t seem to have ‘shut the door and
gone fishing with my dog. Not yet anyway!’
E-mail address changes
I notice I have been having a few e-mails bounced back to me from members. Despite assurances from Vodafone I’m
afraid they are definitely not forwarding on all e-mails to your new e-mail address so if you have changed your
e-mail address when Vodafone stopped providing their e-mail service (mainly telstraclear & paradise e-mails) and
you still wish to receive information and newsletters from us, please let me know what your new e-mail address is.
marie.hearingchch@xtra.co.nz
Thanks!
NOTICE BOARD
EVER THOUGHT ABOUT MAKING A
HAVING PROBLEMS
BEQUEST OR FUNERAL DONATION TO HEARING YOUR TV?
HEARING SUPPORT CHRISTCHURCH? Ever tried using Captions?
Your Bequest will help secure our future and help us Captions are just like Sub-titles, but they are
continue to provide a long-term service to hearing designed for people with hearing loss and
impaired Kiwis in our region. Once you have taken can help you to fill in the gaps.
care of your family, maybe you could think of us. Depending on what platform you receive
Have a chat with your Lawyer if this is something you your TV signal through the set-up is slightly
would like to consider doing. You will need our different. See http://able.co.nz/captioning/
Charities commission registration no. (CC20011) and how-do-i-access-captions
our correct name.-.Hearing Support Christchurch T/A OR contact our office and we can help you.
Hearing Association Christchurch Inc. The captioning service is available on TV1,
Thanks so much! TV2, TV3 and Prime.
OR…. PLUS……..
Don’t forget that we have TV Devices that
When a loved one passes, donations can be made at
may be the answer to your TV viewing woes.
the Funeral towards the work of Hearing Support
Call the office for a free appointment to trial.
Christchurch.
We appreciate your support!
BATTERY PRICE LIST HEARING AID TUBING &
Don’t forget to stock up on your hearing aid CLEANING
batteries and other hearing aid supplies
Do you struggle to change the
We stock the following batteries: tubing on your hearing aids?
Is it difficult for you to clean your
Type Retail Member Supergold +
hearing aids—getting into all those
Price Member Price nooks and crannies?
Starkey & $8.00 $7.20 $6.40
Hearing Support can help!
Power One We now offer a cleaning &/or
13,312,675 tubing change service at the rooms.
Starkey 10 $9.00 $8.10 $7.20
FREE to Members
(charge applies for tubing)
Order your batteries by mail to save a trip! Just call in and see our friendly staff.
Postage $2.00 for up to 10 cards
Don't forget to include your name and address so
we know where to send them to!
Text 111 Service
WE NEED YOU!!!
If you have problems talking
on the phone you can reg-
ister your name and number
with the TEXT 111 services,
so in an emergency you can
text 111 instead of having to
call. Visit: http://
www.police.govt.nz/111-txt/
VACANCIES how-register-111-txt to register, or visit us and we can
Positions Available: Board Members help you with the process.
Objectives: To assist Hearing Support Christchurch
to continue to offer an excellent service of help and
support to the hearing impaired in our region. To Daylight Saving April 1st
support and encourage our staff as they seek to
deliver a quality service to those with hearing loss It’s a wee way off yet but Daylight saving is the time
and their significant others. to check your smoke alarm batteries again.
If you have a hearing loss it’s a good time to check
Personal Qualities: An understanding and empathy
whether you can actually hear the smoke alarm
for those who have hearing loss and willingness to
without your hearing aids in too.
contribute in positive ways to assist us in delivering
our current service. Able to communicate well and It won’t wake you up at night if you can’t hear it!
work with a committed team of individuals, as well Did you know there are special smoke alarms for
as our staff. people with hearing loss?
Commitment: Bimonthly meetings currently held Did you know you might be eligible for funding?
on the 2nd Thursday of every other month at 1pm
for around 1.5 hours. Meetings held at the office at Contact our office for more details.
275 Riccarton Road.
This is your opportunity to give something back to
the community. Our current board comprises of
amazing people who are committed and passionate Check out the new badge we’ve
about the issues that affect those with hearing had designed!
loss, but we are always looking for fresh faces that
bring fresh inspiration and new ideas. Pop in to the office or contact Marie at
marie.hearingchch@xtra.co.nz if you would
If this sounds like something you would like to get like to get one
involved in, then please contact Pauline at the
office asap for further information. We would love $10.90 to members with supergold card
to hear from you. $13.60 to non-members
Massey University Study
Massey University is researching the reasons for
the lengthy earthquake insurance claims process in
greater Christchurch
If you would like to take part go to: Check out this website featuring
https://massey.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ Accessible Travel in NZ
SV_9zbXgTFBtn4hQRn
http://www.oysternz.co.nz/
New Emergency Alert System Update
You might remember about this from the April newsletter last year. The Emergency Mobile Alert system has now
gone live and some of you may have noticed this being tested nationwide on November 26th between 6 and 7pm. In
case you didn’t we thought we would update you. Messages about emergencies can only be sent by authorised
emergency agencies. The alerts are designed to keep people safe and are broadcast to all capable phones from
targeted cell towers. The alerts can be targeted to areas affected by serious hazards and will only be sent when there
is a serious threat to life, health, or property, and in some cases for test purposes.
Emergency Mobile Alerts will tell you the situation, what to do, the time, the agency sending the alert, and if needed,
where to go for more information. The alert should appear automatically on your phone’s screen with a unique and
penetrating warning sound. This does not replace other alerting systems, or the need to take action after natural
warnings. If you feel your life is in danger, don’t wait for an official warning—put your emergency plan into action
anyway.
How to get Emergency Mobile Alerts
To get Emergency Mobile Alerts you need a phone capable of receiving Emergency Mobile Alerts. The phone also
needs to have cell reception and up to date software. You don’t have to download an app or subscribe to a service.
About a third of phones will initially be able to receive the alerts but this number is expected to rise substantially over
time.
1. Check if your phone is on the list of capable phones at http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/get-ready-defence-
management-alerts-and-warnings/emergency-mobile-alert/emergency-mobile-alert-capbable-devices/
2. Update your phone’s operating system software.
Please refer to your phone manual or talk to your mobile operator if you need help updating your phone.
For more information see www.civildefence.govt.nz
Government committed to captioning
PRESS RELEASE BY NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT AT 4:00PM, 08 FEB 2018
Every New Zealander should have the best possible access to media content and this year the Government commits
to exploring options to increase captioning on New Zealand television and film.
Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Clare Curran says “captioning is a vital service for hearing-
impaired people, providing them with access to both local and international content, including news coverage, sports
and entertainment.”
“The government is determined to improve access to captioning for Kiwis and I’ve asked officials to look at options,
including the select committee recommendation that providing captions be a requirement for receiving NZ On Air and
NZ Film Commission funding.
“100 percent of TV One’s live prime-time line-up, from 6 to 10pm is captioned but overall 57 percent of programmes
on that channel are captioned including new and repeated content. TV 2 is also 100 percent captioned during prime-
time and 73 per cent overall – and we want to do better.
“We’ll explore options to increase levels by consulting with the sector on the best approach to increase captioning
across all media, including on demand content,” Ms Curran says.
“Last year’s Government Administration Committee’s inquiry into Captioning in New Zealand has given us useful
information on the current situation and shows more needs to be done to achieve higher rates of captioning.
“We will also be looking at how best to raise the level of audio description – a voiced narrative of on-screen visuals,
which improves access for blind and visually impaired people.”
Increased access to on-line content for hearing and visually impaired people is also one of the outcomes of the New
Zealand Disability Strategy 2016-2026.
“Government acknowledges other countries in the OECD, including Australia, Canada and the UK, have higher levels
of captioning than New Zealand and we want to ensure our work this year will help boost New Zealand’s level,” Ms
Curran says.
“We’ll consult with members of the hearing-impaired community, advocacy groups, broadcasters and Able, the
organisation working to make media accessible, to find the best ways to achieve our goals.”
Disability Issues Minister Carmel Sepuloni welcomes the move saying “We have an estimated one in six hearing-
impaired people in New Zealand and in 2016 more than 12,000 people were registered with the Blind Foundation.
Helping these people to get the most from media content is a worthwhile step for us to take.”
The government’s response to the report on captioning was presented to the House today and is available here:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/papers-presented/current-papers/document/PAP_76302/government-response-to-report-
of-the-government-administration
The select committee report is available here: https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/
SCR_74810/949a5e80d88b6ccea3f190aa4fe37137834e81bc
Interesting Snippets
Smartphone app supports independence and safety for hearing impaired
Life Unlimited Hearing therapist Anne Greatbatch takes a look at Braci Pro, a free app
that allows your phone to function as an alerting system.
Braci Pro is a sound recognition platform that functions through recognising and
analysing sounds from the environment and converting them into visual and sensory
notifications and alerts on your smartphone, selected smartwatches and other devices
like iPads.
That makes the app ideal for people living with hearing loss because it alerts them to
sounds in their environment they would ordinarily have trouble hearing.
When detection mode is activated, the device’s microphone will listen to the environment for sounds. When the app
recognises a particular sound, it triggers an onscreen notification, vibrates and flashes the camera light on the device.
It works without Wi-Fi or data connection, but your device does require battery power so will need to be charged up.
The app comes pre-installed to recognise smoke alarms. This makes it useful when you’re away from home staying in
hotels or with friends.
You can also customise the app by recording sounds specific to your environment, like your doorbell, your telephone’s
ring – even your oven timer or the sound of your washing machine completing its cycle.
It can be a little tricky to set up, especially when recording other sounds, but the pre-installed smoke alarm alert is
ready to go wherever you are – provided you have battery life.
Overall, the Braci Pro is a great option to support people to live more independently in their home.
However, I would always recommend people who are unable to hear conventional smoke alarms make sure they have
specialised smoke alarms installed in their home rather than relying on Braci Pro.
It’s also really important that people are proactive if they are staying away from home and inform their host or hotel
staff about their hearing loss and the need to be alerted in the event of emergency.
Braci Pro is free to download from Google Play and Mac App Store.
Info from:
https://www.lifeunlimited.net.nz/hearing/hearing-articles/smartphone-app-supports-independence-safety-hearing-impaired/
Earplugs most effective option for musicians
Tests conducted at a Dutch University showed that every section of the orchestra, including
strings, are exposed to sound levels of 90 decibels. Some sections were exposed to more than
100 decibels—that’s as loud as a rock concert.
The research from the Eindhoven University of Technology was published in the peer-
reviewed Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (November 2017). They used the first
two minutes of the finale of Mahler’s First Symphony as a representative example of loud
orchestral playing. The research, led by acoustics expert Remy Wenmaekers, was designed to
evaluate the potential effectiveness of common control measures used in orchestras on open
stages with a typical symphonic setup, using an acoustic prediction model that calculates the sound exposure levels of
every musician in the orchestra. The model was based on recordings of orchestral music, instrument by instrument,
made in an anechoic chamber and took into account the direction of the sound of the instruments, the listening
orientation of the receivers, reflection of sound, and the blocking of sound on stage by musicians’ bodies.
The research found that measures such as risers, placing screens between sections or creating more space between
them do not significantly reduce noise exposure for musicians. This is because the greatest noise exposure comes from
their own instrument. Trumpets and flute players can be exposed to 95-100dB just from their own instruments. In
other words musicians, whether professional or amateur, could be producing excessive noise levels at home while
practising too. Earplugs may be the only way to protect orchestral musicians from hearing damage.
Info from www.hear-it.org
Hearing Aid Insurance claims
Hopefully you are all aware of how important it is to have your hearing aids insured. They are a very expensive item
to replace so don’t assume they are covered as many insurance companies require you to have them
listed separately.
Recently we have also heard that some insurance companies have contracts with particular hearing aid companies
for hearing aid replacements. Under the Code of Health and Disability rights you are entitled to choose your
audiology provider so there is no reason you can’t go to your normal audiologist if you prefer.
Train your brain to improve your hearing in noisy places
It can be hard for people with hearing loss to follow conversations in noisy places such as restaurants or at meetings
even if they use hearing aids. But training your brain can help to get more out of the hearing aids, study finds.
An American study has found that elderly people with hearing loss can triple their understanding of words in noisy
situations by training with a custom audiomonitor game.
How to train your brain
The brain-training audiogame is designed to improve the players’ ability to follow conversations. The game
challenges the players to monitor subtle deviations between predicted and actual auditory feedback as they move
their fingertip through a virtual soundscape.
All participants spend 3.5 hours per week for eight weeks playing the brain-training game. The participants were on
average 70-years-old. All of them had mild to severe hearing loss and had worn hearing aids for an average of seven
years.
Your brain causes hearing loss
After playing the game, the participants correctly made out 25% more words in the presence of high levels of back-
ground noise. The audiomonitor training resulted in more than three times the benefit of the subject’s hearing aids
for speech processing in noisy listening situations, the study found. This means that the participants were better able
to filter out noise and distinguish between a target speaker and background distractions, according to researcher
Daniel Polley, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School in the US.
“These findings underscore that understanding speech in noisy listening conditions is a whole brain activity, and is
not strictly governed by the ear,” said Daniel Polley.
Therefore, it may not be just your ears that result in hearing problems in noisy places, but actually, it is also your
brain, the study states.
About the study
The study consisted of 24 elderly people, who were randomly divided into two groups. One group played the brain-
training game and the other group was a placebo control group playing a game that challenged players’ auditory
working memory and was not expected to help with speech intelligibility.
The study “Audiomotor Perceptual Training Enhances Speech Intelligibility in Background Noise” was published in
Current Biology in October 2017.
From https://www.hear-it.org/train-your-brain-improve-your-hearing-noisy-places
Our New Flag Thanks to Paper Plus
for donating six Lip reading challenge
games called Hearing Things.
Do you have any old hearing aids?
Help give someone in Fiji a brighter future
We are involved in a project in a small under-privileged
village in Fiji that will be providing hearing tests and
fitting older or refurbished hearing aids to those in need.
Please drop in any unwanted hearing aids to us and we
will pass them on to the project.
YOUR STORIES
This is your Newsletter and we would love to hear from any
of our Members who have an experience to share about
their own hearing journey. Something that would
encourage others; an experience that has helped as you
adjust to your hearing loss; or perhaps a good news story
outlining how you have overcome barriers in your own
hearing loss journey.
Thanks to the Christchurch Airport Community Fund Email your script to hearingchch@xtra.co.nz with
“newsletter story” in the subject line.
Please note that submitting items will not guarantee
publication. Articles printed will be at the discretion of the
newsletter editor and board.HEARING SUPPORT CHRISTCHURCH
REST HOME PROGRAMMEDONATION FORM
Approximately 18.9% of our population has some form of hearing loss. It is estimated that this number
can rise up to 66% amongst those in residential aged-care.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE MADE GENEROUS DONATIONS TO
OUR REST HOME PROGRAMME ALREADY — WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH!
HELP US TO CONTINUE TO HELP REST HOME RESIDENTS!
Remember that we receive no Government Funding and wish to continue to assist Hearing Impaired
Residents in Rest Homes /Villages. While we now charge rest homes a small fee, this by no means covers
all our costs, so we are very grateful for any donations received by you.
This allows us to keep providing this valuable service.
We appreciate your generosity!
I wish to donate to the Rest Home Programme:
$10 $20 $50 $100 (please circle)
Other $ ____________
MR / MRS / MS / MISS / DR / Other ________
NAME _________________________________
ADDRESS _______________________________
_______________________________________
Receipt Please
Your donation is tax deductible, but you need to let us know if you
would like a receipt. Please tick the box above if you do.
Thanks so much for your donation!
NEWSLETTER CONTENT
If you ever pick up one of our Newsletters and think to yourself, “I wonder if there will be an article about
……………………………………………………….(fill in what you would like to read about) this time”, only to find that there
isn't , then please drop us an email or give us a call and tell us what you would like to read about in regards to
hearing loss.
Please note—We will do our best to include your suggestions but we may not be able to find suit-able or reliable
information on the topic you request.
WOULD YOU PREFER TO RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER VIA EMAIL???
If so, drop us an email or call the office and we will pop you on our Newsletter Email list.
And of course this will help us keep postage, paper and printing costs down—bonus!!SENDER: Hearing Support Christchurch PO Box 6460 CHRISTCHURCH 8442
You can also read
