Healthy Hearing Makes a Healthy Marriage

Hearing loss is a natural part of ageing yet it’s no fun – not for you and not for your loved ones.  The earlier hearing loss is detected and treated, the better the result.  Yet most people who notice symptoms delay having their hearing checked for many years.

There may be lots of reasons to put off seeking professional help but what about your spouse?  A survey conducted by battery-maker Energizer found that healthy hearing and a healthy marriage are closely linked.

47.8% of respondents who answered its ‘All Ears’ poll last year in the United States felt their marriages suffered because of a spouse’s hearing loss – feeling annoyed, ignored or just plain sad were the most commonly cited feelings.  Almost as many believed their spouses were in denial about their hearing loss.

According to Applied Hearing audiologist Alan Ferguson, there are many couples with such communication issues.  After all hearing loss is estimated to affect one in 10 of New Zealanders.

How can we help now?

Applied Hearing has a wide range of affordable hearing instruments to suit your needs and budget, including the latest in digital technology.  If you suspect a hearing problem, we offer:

• A free hearing test if you are aged 50+.  This full evaluation, including audiogram and ear examination, is done if a quick screening check indicates any hearing problem.

• A minimum 60-day trial as the brain needs time to re-process sounds

How can we help throughout your lifetime?

With 25 clinics from Kaitaia to Invercargill and 50 years helping New Zealanders, we know that choosing the appropriate product for each person’s needs is vital but follow-up support is what matters most.

That’s why Applied Hearing provides:

• Professional services by our qualified team of audiologist/audiometrists

• Free batteries and free follow-up visits for the first year after fitting

• A free hearing re-test (for those 50+) and aid check each year

• Quick repairs by our in-house technician

• Freephone help line answered by knowledgeable, friendly office staff

• Regular newsletters

• Ear wax suction and home/hospital visits in selected areas

Testimonials:

“Always helpful, obliging and effective” is how Tauranga developer Clive Tippins sums up his six years’ experience with Applied Hearing.  At one point when an aid stopped as he left Tauranga, the audiologist en route from another clinic fixed the fault “in the middle of nowhere” near Matamata.

“Very professional and very helpful,” says Dave Callingham about his encounters with various Applied Hearing staff at its Thames and Auckland clinics.  After a lifetime vowing never to wear hearing aids and a dozen operations, the semi-retired Kaiaua businessman is kicking himself for not having acted decades sooner.  “After a few visits for fine tuning, the result is amazing.”

“I have been accessing your service for over 30 years; having lost a great deal of my hearing in my mid 50s. I turned 87 last year and thanks to you people I have heard most of the conversations around me (and been able to join in), have enjoyed talkback radio every night, and have never missed an All Blacks match.”

Thank you letter from Mrs Pauline Kyle after her repaired aid was returned within a week so she could help care for her Christchurch grandchildren.

Published 23rd Oct 2009

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