Councillors hail Hear to Help work
Volunteers’efforts praised by drop-in duo
City centre councillors have backed a campaign to help Fair City residents with hearing problems.
Councillors Chris Ahern and Eric Drysdale are urging people with hearing loss in Perth to use VisionPK-based charity Action on Hearing Loss Scotland after seeing the positive impact of the service.
During the councillors’ visit to a ‘Hear to Help’ drop-in session, Action on Hearing Loss Scotland volunteers, who have been trained by NHS audiology, cleaned and retubed NHS hearing aids to ensure that 23 people did not need to travel to hospital.
Action on Hearing Loss Scotland volunteer Joyce Wood, who uses hearing aids herself, said: “I was delighted to speak with councillors Ahern and Drysdale about the importance of local support being provided for people who need their NHS hearing aids cleaned or retubed.
“Hear to Help volunteers also inform people about equipment such as TV listeners or amplified telephones which can make everyday life easier – it’s a service which many local older people with hearing loss depend on.”
Councillor Ahern said: “It was great seeing how the experienced volunteers clean and re-tube NHS hearing aids so that people could continue, or begin, to follow conversations with their family, friends and neighbours.
Cllr Chris Ahern and Cllr Eric Drysdale back the work of volunteer Joyce Wood
“Hear to Help is a wonderful service which is helping especially older people in communities across Perth and Kinross who have mobility difficulties and may struggle to travel to hospital.”
Councillor Drysdale said: “I encourage everyone in Perth and Kinross who needs support to get the best use of their NHS hearing aids to contact Hear to Help and learn from the volunteers about how you can adjust the settings and make them more comfortable to wear.
“The service is clearly making a huge difference for local people with hearing loss whilst, at the same time, ensuring that hospital-based NHS audiology staff can focus their resources on diagnosing hearing loss as well as programming and fitting hearing aids for those who could benefit from them.”