Campaign For Better Hearing Says Test Your Ears at 60 Years

Hearing Loss strikes 47% of Canadians over the age of 60, but early detection from a hearing test can reduce its negative effects. Sadly, many Canadians wait too long to seek the hearing healthcare they need. By the time they do, many of them have already experienced depression, social isolation and other health issues linked to hearing loss while not knowing that the decline in their quality of life is, in part, due to their inability to hear clearly.

The silent impact that hearing loss has on ones quality of life is why the National Campaign for Better Hearing is encouraging every Canadian over the age of 60 to get a baseline hearing test. The test is free, and upon arriving at your hearing appointment, your hearing professional will assess the health and function of both ears as well as determine the degree of hearing loss one may or may not have. It is a non-invasive, painless appointment that allows you to take control of your hearing health.

When you get your hearing tested, you are helping others as well. Through the Campaign for Better Hearing’s Give-Back Program, the campaign is able to award hearing aids to those who really need them thanks to the generous donations from its sponsors. For every free hearing test taken with one of the campaign’s sponsors, $4.00 is donated towards the purchase of aids for people who need them. Since its inception in 2015, the campaign has raised over $300,000 and awarded over 50 brand new pairs of hearing aids with the number growing every year.

The campaign has shone a light on the heart-wrenching stories of over 50 Canadians nationwide who have been impacted by hearing loss. Almost all the award recipients reported feelings of frustration, isolation and embarrassment while others confessed to situations where their hearing loss affected their ability to get a job or hear when an intruder robbed their home.

Robin Taylor, a hearing aid award recipients from Red Deer, Alberta developed an introverted lifestyle after losing her hearing at six years old due to chemotherapy. Her hearing loss lead some to assume that she was “simple minded” because she could not hear people’s requests or questions. Once she was fitted with her new hearing aids, she was hearing higher pitched sounds she never heard before: the dinging elevator, an alarm on the fume she works under, her friend’s ringtone, even the cricket in a movie she has seen countless times. For Robin, it has been an incredible experience.

Improved communications with family and friends was the most reported life improvement for the award recipients of the Give-Back Program. Recipients were excited to communicate with their spouses, club members, grandchildren and great grandchildren again without asking them to repeat themselves.

Unfortunately, denial, fear and embarrassment prevents many Canadians from seeking the help they need, though many newer models of hearing aids are designed to be almost undetectable and come in a variety of styles with additional features to choose from. There are more options than ever before to help you improve your hearing. Ask your hearing professional for what your options are. To book a free, no obligation hearing test, please visit http://campaignforbetterhearing.org/promo-carpcfbhh/.

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CARP members save additional 10% off the regular price or limited-time promotional price of select hearing aids sold at HearingLife Canada, ListenUP! Canada and our National affiliated partners, proud sponsors of the Campaign for Better Hearing, and earn up to 2,000 AIR MILES® reward miles with their purchase!