Friday 12 July 2013

Hearing lasting a lifetime


The sense of hearing provides protection from our environment and is one of the important parts of the way we communicate. As one ages there are changes to all physical aspect of your life including hearing. While I’m not a doctor or hearing specialist that can speak to those changes  I do work with seniors and have experienced the challenges that older adults face when hearing loss is present.  WCSS recently invited Audiologist Amy Koza to the 55+ Drop In to provide a presentation about hearing health and audiological care in the Sea-to-Sky corridor.  Topics included signs, prevention and treatment of hearing loss, as well as recent advances in hearing aid technology and the current state of audiological care in BC. Amy offered 2 free Hearing Screening for those 55+ at Whistler Community Services on Monday June 24 & 28th.  These screenings were so successful they both booked out and Amy saw a total of 24 individuals. In an effort to increase everyone's knowledge about hearing loss, Amy has shared the following signs and symptoms to look out for: You often ask people to repeat themselves, have difficulty understanding people, or find that they mumble.  It is not uncommon to miss hear people or offer some insight into a conversation when the topic has already changed but when it becomes more constant there may be hearing loss. Secondly, if you have trouble hearing in a noisy environment, a crowded room offers too much sound and it’s difficult to hear the person speaking in front of you.  A way to off set this is to find a quite corner where the background noise is lower.  Another sign is when people complain the television is too loud. If you suffer from hearing loss you are less likely to notice the height of the volume until there is either a loud bang within the TV program or someone else enters the room and comments on the volume.  If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above occurrences it is probably time to seek assistance. Family doctors are a great resource or if you'd like to hear about audiologists in the area, please contact me and I can pass on the info (snap@mywcss.org, 604-902-0865). 

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Let The Bidding Begin!

Let The Bidding Begin!
One of the most “unique” donations to grace the bay doors of The Re-Build-It Centre this month is a custom made Syl Ray 9 ½ ft. sailboat made by a local company in Surrey. The boat is in excellent condition (it floats!), includes the mast and sail. The sail suffered a little damage in storage over the winter from a “furry invader”, but can be easily repaired.
Here’s how it works:
Come by The Re-Build-It Centre anytime during open hours 10am-5pm 7 days.
Attach your bid to the boat with your name and phone number (must beat previous top bid).
Bidding closes at 12:00pm, July 31/2013.
The lucky person who provides highest bid will be contacted by phone at 12:01pm, July 31/2013 and given to the end of our business day to collect and pay for his/her prize.
If payment is not received by the end of our business day (5:00pm), the next highest bidder will be contacted until the boat is collected.
Good luck : )