NEWSLETTER

OF THE

NAPIER HEARING hear here

this issue

Meet Professor Peter Thorne P.1

President’s Report P.2

CapTel Phone Demonstration P.3

Communication Tips P.6

M a r c h / A p r i l

Meet Professor Peter Thorne and Autumn Lunch

Join us for a talk by respected Auckland University Professor of Audiology, Dr Peter Thorne.

Peter will talk about Technology to help you hear better, covering why early intervention with hearing loss is important, and the latest research in hearing aid and cochlear implants. Peter’s talk will be followed by a finger-food lunch with sweets, tea and coffee.

I S S U E

Napier Hearing Centre

Civic Court Mall

Dickens Street

(next to Café DMP)

Napier

9am - 2pm

Monday to Friday

Phone: 835 7790

www.napierhearing.org.nz

Email: naphear@xtra.co.nz

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/

napierhearing

Post to:

PO Box 4019

Marewa, Napier 4143

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

President: Janice Cram

Treasurer: Diana Clift

Secretary: Angela Moloney

Committee: Ann Bain

June Chorley, Brian Cottle,

Maree Hallamore,

Joy Kelly, Br. Joe Lamb,

Joan Wilcox

02

Tuesday 29 April

Heavey Hall Wycliffe Street, Onekawa

Time: 11am

Tickets: $9 / $11 - Non-Members

Purchase your tickets from the Hearing Centre by Monday 28 April.

Transport is available - please contact the Hearing Centre on 835 7790 asap.

Hearing Association Website

The Hearing Association website has a new-look. Visit www.napierhearing.org.nz for information about our events and activities, useful hearing information and resources, and links to service providers. The site is made possible through generous sponsorship from WASP - Hawkes Bay’s leading provider in fibre, wireless and ADSL services.

President’s Annual Report 2013

Janice Cram, President

Napier Hearing Association

from Rhose Shand of Life Unlimited; and a panel of speakers presenting their stories of Living with Hearing Loss for National Hearing Week. At our

Winter Buffet lunch U3A gave a presentation on Life Long Learning, and Audiologist Chris Peychers was our speaker in September. Christmas at

Taradale RSA was fantastic with “Batteries or the Bag” with Mike Goodacre being Selwyn Toogood.

The National Hearing Association Conference was held in Nelson in May. Diana and Angela attended the Front Line Staff Conference as well. I represented Napier. There were great speakers including Professor Peter Thorne and Mojo Mathers, MP.

Our Hearing Association is always looking for money to function. It is necessary to increase

membership fees, as mooted at the last AGM to $25 single and $40 double. This may be paid in instalments if necessary. Donations are always most appreciated.

Grants have been received, with thanks, as follows:

$1,000 from Endeavour Foundation for a new printer;

$3,400 from Napier City Council for rent;

$3,220 from COGS for wages.

We did not receive any money from Lotteries Commission, as they have changed their funding dates.

Diana and Angela continue to give amazing service. They go the extra mile and work more hours than they are paid for to help everyone. We owe them our very grateful thanks and appreciation.

Janice Cram PRESIDENT

Thank you to local business supporters:

We are very grateful to

the following local

businesses who

generously donated

wonderful prizes for our

Christmas function.

Please support them:

The Indian Kitchen

Civic Court Candle

Shop

hear here Issue 02 April 2014

2013 has been another productive year. Membership continues to increase and more are attending our events.

We are having a closer relationship with Hastings members, some of whom attend our get togethers. We had a table at their Christmas Fundraiser last year, and recently 16 of us went on a bus trip to Jarks Restaurant at Waimaramara for dinner that Hastings organised.

A highlight of the year was presenting Gillian Smailes with Life Membership. The Hearing Association owes a lot to Gill, both locally and nationally.

Our social events have included: a Summer barbeque with Murray Whittington and his Hearing Dog, Frodo; a Sign Language taster class for National Sign Language Week; a visit

A highlight of

the year was

presenting

Gillian Smailes

with Life

Membership

The Hearing Week Raffle was drawn on 28 March by staff at the Civic Court Candle Shop. Congratulations to Grant Brabazon with winning ticket no. Yellow A 84.

Raffle Winner

Batteries: Suburban Agents

Hearing Aid batteries - just $7 to members for 6 quality batteries.

Hearing Aid batteries are available from the Hearing Centre, or from these local agents. Please phone before visiting to make sure they are home:

Don Wilson 15A Eton Street, Taradale ph: 844 0055

Jan Lock 55 Georges Drive, Marewa ph: 835 0387

CapTel Phones: Could you benefit? If your hearing makes phone conversations impossible, this phone could be for you. The CapTel phone means you can hear the other person talking and laughing, and their tone of voice AND have captions on your phone as they speak, to help you understand what they are saying. They are ideal for people who have difficulty hearing on even an amplified phone. Many people find these phones especially useful for making arrangements and appointments, to understand clearly the date and time suggested. Join us as Hearing Advisor Diana Clift demonstrates the unique benefits and features of the Captel phone:

Wednesday 16 April

Napier RSA Conference Room 34 Vautier St, Napier

Time: 11am RSVP: by Monday 14 April - 835 7790

If transport is required please let us know asap.

You are welcome to join us for lunch in the dining room following the presentation (at own cost).

hear here Issue 02 April 2014

If you are unable to make this presentation and would like to know more, let us know - we are planning further sessions. We also have a CapTel phone at the

Hearing Centre to demonstrate - call 835 7790 to arrange a time.

Napier Hearing Association Battery Postal Order Form 2014

Please tick which brand you prefer: Rayovac $7.00 each Power One $7.00 each

Post this form with your cheque to:

The Napier Hearing Association PO Box 4019 Marewa NAPIER 4143 Or email your order to naphear.office@xtra.co.nz and pay into our Westpac Napier Account: 03 0698 0976071 00 (Use your surname as reference)

Battery Quantity Cost

Size 13 (orange) Pkt 6

Size 312 (brown) Pkt 6

Size 10 (yellow) Pkt 6

Size 675 (blue) Pkt 6

Other item:

Postage $1.00 $1.00

TOTAL:

Name:

Address:

A very warm welcome to our new members:

Arthur Gemmell, Ngatau Kopu, Beverley Cowan, Linton Byfield, Beverley Brown, Ian Mills, Nancy Chittey, Helen HiHa, Daniel Pawson, June Gillies, Leonora McCormack, Rev Gerald Clark and Dawn Rogers.

We look forward to seeing you at the Hearing Centre or one of our events soon.

We would like to thank the following organisations for their generous financial support:

Grants and Sponsorship

Centre Report

Spirit of Napier Lions

Hearing Centre Opening Hours Our trial of longer opening hours has now ended. We found there was not a huge demand for the extra hour, so we are returning to our original hours: 9am to 2pm, Monday to Friday. If these hours are unsuitable, please get in touch with us - we can often make special arrangements!

Lottery Funding We have just heard that the Napier Hearing Association has been fortunate to receive generous funding from the Lottery Grants Board to help with paying salaries. This will make a big difference to us this year, and help us continue our service to you from the Hearing Centre.

CapTel Phone Outreach Training Diana and Angela recently attended CapTel Phone Outreach Training in Auckland. The training covered the special features of these captioned phones, and also looked at WebCapTel, which involves using your own phone and computer for the captions. We will be holding a number of information sessions in the community this year. The first of these will be at Napier RSA on Wednesday 16 April - see the insert in this newsletter for details. For more information , or to book a session with your club or group ring 835 7790.

NZ Sign Language Week, 19-25 May: FREE Taster Class Once again we are hosting a Sign Language taster class as part of Deaf Aoteoroa’s Sign Language Week. The classes are fun, informal and free! If you enjoyed last year’s session, come again - this class will have a different focus. To register your interest phone the Hearing Centre on 835 7790.

Hastings Human Rights Presentation: 11 June, 2.30pm Louise Carroll, CEO of the National Foundation for the Deaf will give a presentation on Human Rights and how UNCRPD (the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities) applies to people who are hard of hearing. Venue to be advised - to register your interest in attending, please ring the Hearing Centre on 835 7790.

Age Concern Expo: Napier War Memorial, 8 May, 10am-2pm The theme for this year’s Age Concern Expo is Age on the Go! It will feature over 40 stands with all you need to know about retirement living and services available. The Hearing Association will be there - come along and find out more about the variety of opportunities available to you.

In Memorium: Eric Maund It is with great sadness we heard long-time Committee member and supporter Eric Maund passed away on Saturday 22 March 2014.

For many years Eric helped tirelessly with Hearing Association fundraisers and Street Appeal collections. As recently as last September Eric was setting up and packing up sites for our Street Collection.

Eric’s warm manner, good humour and generous nature will be sadly missed by all of us. Our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

Services available at the Hearing

Centre:

FREE to Members

Independent information and advice

Funding information

Communication strategies

Wax checks

Hearing Aid cleaning and drying

Hearing Tests

Free trials of equipment

Discounted Prices for Members

Hearing Aid batteries

Amplified phones, TV headphones

personal listeners and other devices

Napier Hearing Association

Full Charge Ahead

Out and About with Harriet Hearit

Passing through Dannevirke recently, I had a chat with Johnny, the friendly mechanic at the garage. “I’m pleased to see you are wearing your hearing aids,” he told me, grinning.

When I looked at him quizzically, Johnny told me that he had just returned from an emergency call-out to a

hear here Issue 02 April 2014

Communication Tips

On Saturday 22 March, Rhose Shand, Hearing Therapist at Life Unlimited, spoke at the Hastings Hearing Association’s AGM. Here are some of Rhose’s useful tips about communicating when you have hearing loss.

Don’t say: “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you.” You have no reason to be sorry, and you

CAN hear, so long as certain things are done.

Instead, practice saying “I can hear you if you look at me and say everything clearly.” Clear speech – saying each word clearly – also does two other important things: it slows down the speech, and it increases its volume by about 5 decibels.

Rhose explained that what we hear is only part of what is happening. When we have high-pitched hearing loss (the most common type), we often miss consonants – the important beginnings and ends of words. Adding in the visual clues from a person’s face can help you put the jigsaw of speech together.

Asking for a repeat can give people the impression that you weren’t listening to them. When we say “What?” or “Pardon?” we are actually often only waiting for our brain to catch up with what was said. So, instead, take a breath. This will help your brain to catch up. Then say what you understand, eg “I caught something about the beach…” With this approach, communication happens – you will hear back in a different way. For example, the person speaking may laugh and say, “no, no, I was asking you if you would like a peach!”

Try to drive the conversation. Tell the person what you need – no-one is a mind reader. Ask “Please slow down, and give it to me in a short sentence.”

Not hearing can be very stressful. Take a breath and relax and you may hear much better. We have invited Rhose to give a talk to members of the Napier Hearing Association in the near future - see our next newsletter for more details.

stranded motorist. This person also had hearing aids, but told Johnny that she didn’t

wear them when she was driving, so as to save the batteries.

Unfortunately, her car developed an engine noise as she drove, and

the battery-saving driver was not able to hear this until it was really quite loud. By the time Johnny

The damage

to the car was

severe, and it

had to be

towed

got there, the damage to the car was severe, and it had to be towed away.

“She probably could have bought the battery factory with the money this lot is going to cost” remarked Johnny. Well, I made sure my hearing aids were locked and loaded for the rest of my trip home to Napier!