Hidden Hearing's 'Give Back' programme...are YOU listening?

Hidden Hearing’s “Give Back” programme, an important part of The Campaign for Better Hearing is on course to improve the hearing health of those who need an audiological boost. The campaign sees Coleraine man Leroy Dempster receive free top-of-the-range hearing devices from the hearing aid specialists.

Leroy Dempster, a 40-year-old father of two from Coleraine has suffered with hearing loss for most of his life.

His mother noticed that he wasn’t taking in a lot of the lessons in primary school and after that he underwent many operations to help improve his hearing. As a musician and someone who partakes in a lot of pantomimes, hearing is of paramount importance. Audiologist Andrew Macpherson of the Hidden Hearing Coleraine branch, nominated Leroy as part of the CSR programme the company is promoting to improve peoples’ hearing.

When Leroy got the phone call to inform him he was chosen to benefit from the scheme, he was over the moon.

Leroy said: “I was speechless when I got the call, when the news sank in I thought this was amazing. The quality of the hearing aids I am wearing is state-of- the-art. It’s improved my life no end. I used to back off when in group situations, I was scared to get involved in case I missed something, but with my new hearing devices I know what’s going on around me.

“Before this, I might not have heard something the right way and I would come out with something random. And my friends would look at me as if to say – what is he going on about?”.

Audiologist Andrew Macpherson has been working for Hidden Hearing for 14 years and nominated Leroy for the company’s “Give Back” programme. Andrew stresses the importance of getting your ears tested; “Isolation is so common amongst those who are hard of hearing. They just don’t want to go out and put themselves into situations where they know they cannot hear properly and they find it embarrassing. As Leroy said he was always taking care not to jump into conversations, because he thought he might pick something up wrong. Hidden Hearing have some brilliant hearing aids - no one hard of hearing needs to miss out or live like that.”

Free hearing testing is available in the 14 state-of-the-art Hidden Hearing clinics throughout Northern Ireland, as part of the “Campaign for Better Hearing” which was launched earlier this year by Daniel O’Donnell and Majella O’Donnell.

The campaign aims to improve the hearing health of the communities around the various Hidden Hearing branches in Northern Ireland. Information in relation to prevention, treatment and hearing aid technology, is also part of the campaign.

‘Hear’ are the facts: Around *30% of hearing loss in Northern Ireland is untreated. *In fact, 1 in 4 adults in Northern Ireland suffer from at least a mild hearing loss. By the age of 55, 1 in 7 people report a significant deterioration in their hearing and this rises to 1 in 3 by the age of 65. The Give Back Programme, which is an integral part of The Campaign for Better Hearing sees all branches of Hidden Hearing nominate a member of the community to get a free pair of hearing devices fitted. Hidden Hearing want to drive the message of the importance of good hearing and improve hearing health in those who they feel need it because life is worth hearing. *Source Empathy Research, Jan 2018.

You can also nominate a person you feel could benefit from having a hearing test & that could be selected to receive a free pair of hearing devices through the Campaign for Better Hearings Give Back Programme. All you need to do is email: [email protected] and in the body of the email give your name, number, address and your nominees name, number and address and please write a brief summary of why you would like to nominate that person for a free hearing test and potentially a free pair of hearing devices.

More information on Northern Ireland’s Campaign for Better Hearing is available online at www.hiddenhearing.org www.campaignforbetterhearingni.org. You can also call 0800 085 95 50 for more information.