Chime Health is urging businesses and members of the public to support Deaf Awareness Week, taking place from 2nd to 8th May.
Co-ordinated by the UK Council on Deafness, the week will promote the positive aspects of deafness, encourage social inclusion and raise awareness of the issues facing people with a hearing loss.
Did you know, there are approximately 1 in 6 people in the UK affected by hearing loss?
This equates to an estimated 127,550 people in Devon alone. However, it can sometimes be hard for people to admit their hearing loss, with some taking an average of 10 years to address their hearing difficulty.
With a total of 15 clinics in Exeter and the surrounding area, from the RD&E to a state-of-the-art audiology centre in Exeter city centre (Harlequins Centre), Chime is pioneering a significant change in NHS audiology service. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, it has been recognised by both professionals and patients as a centre of excellence for hearing health and the best NHS service in the UK.
Chime managing director, Jonathan Parsons said: “There are many ways that people can become more deaf-aware. Start thinking about your immediate family members – do you know someone who has is experiencing hearing loss? It can be a very isolating experience, with people often feeling like they are missing out on the conversations going on around them.
“Adults and children who are deaf or hard of hearing often face communication barriers, which can cause lack of confidence, exclusion from society, depression, isolation and unemployment.
“However, advances in technology and the way we communicate is helping to change this. All hearing loss is worth investigating even in its mildest form, so if you think you or someone you know is experiencing some degree of hearing impairment, seek help.”
Chime’s new clinic at Harlequin’s Shopping Centre in Exeter opened in 2015 to offer clients greater accessibility as well as a less clinical environment in which to receive audiology services.
Happy customer Patricia Britton can’t sing their praises highly enough. Having experienced increasing hearing loss over the last 20 years, Patricia said: “The beauty of Chime is that not only do they offer NHS quality hearing aids for free, but they combine this with knowledgeable support in purchasing state-of-the-art pieces of equipment that have proved life-changing for me – from helping me to watch the television without disturbing the neighbours to enabling me to hear conversations on my phone and with friends and family.
“I have been really grateful for Chime and the excellent practitioners on their team for helping and advising me. I know they are there for me, with cutting edge technology to analyse and assess my needs and tailor my hearing aids precisely to my needs on the NHS. They have also helped me to choose commercial products that enhance my life, giving me more social confidence together with excellent NHS provision.”
One of the unique aspects of Chime is that they specialise in hearing and nothing else, and as a ‘not-for-profit’ company, clients receive impartial advice and top quality standards of service.
If you have any concerns about hearing, please contact Chime on 01392 402 223 or visit chimehealth.co.uk @chimeaudiology.
(from a press release)
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