Pru given gift of hearing
SINCE primary school, Pru Schmidt has battled with bulky, crackly and awkward hearing aids, until now.
Mark Paton, of Mark Paton and Associates Hearing Aid Specialists, kindly donated a digital hearing aid to the Warwick woman, who really deserved it.
When finances are tight and you're not eligible for a government subsidy, seeking specialist attention can prove costly, which is why Ms Schmidt was selected to be the receiver of a new digital hearing aid.
"It's just so wonderful; I'm a bit overwhelmed," Ms Schmidt said.
"To see the advancement in hearing-aid technology over the years is great.
"I think with my experiences it's become clear just how important it is to have hearing tests done."
Ms Schmidt battled with hearing difficulties until she was in primary school, when the issue was picked up by a school nurse.
"I just can't thank Mark Paton enough for this," she said.
It comes as we approach Hearing Awareness Week, August 19-25, and Mr Paton said the week was to encourage everyone to take care of their hearing and seek specialist attention when necessary.
"People need to limit their exposure to noise because the damage noise does is permanent," Mr Paton said.
He said hearing issues were often left untreated, which could cause grief for not only the person with the impairment, but others too.
"Seventy per cent of over 70s have hearing loss and only about one-sixth of them have it tested," Mr Paton said.
"It's an insidious problem; it slowly creeps up on people."
He said statistically, hearing issues were on the rise in Warwick with the aging population.
"There's also more awareness these days and people are less willing to put up with a problem so they fix it," Mr Paton said.
Morning tea
Mark Paton and Associates Hearing Aid Specialists is having an open house morning tea on Wednesday from 9.30-11am for anyone to pop in for a chat.
