October is Audiology Awareness month, a month dedicated to generating audiology awareness and the importance of good hearing health to the general public. It’s also a perfect opportunity to educate other healthcare professionals about hearing loss and balance, and the benefits of your services.
For example, local physicians in your community may not know general facts about hearing loss or the link between untreated hearing loss and falls.1 Nurses and other healthcare personnel at assistive living facilities may not appreciate that untreated hearing loss can impact the brain.2 Your local media may not be aware of the recent landmark ACHIEVE study where hearing intervention reduced cognitive change by 48% over a 3 year period in older adults at risk for cognitive decline.3 These key community contacts may not fully appreciate the benefits of the services you provide. There is a ton of information other healthcare providers in your community would welcome to hear, like to know, and proactively do something about! Commit to sharing information and spreading the word about your audiology expertise throughout your community in October by starting the planning process today.
For inspiration and ideas, a new Community Outreach resource page on the Oaktree Products website offers links to valuable resources including key findings of the recent ACHIEVE study and free-to-use infographics and animated video for your blogs, practice website, and social media platforms. From now until the end of October, Oaktree Products is offering one year’s worth of free batteries with a purchase of special PockeTalkers, a great outreach tool for local physicians to use with their own patients as needed to improve communication and facilitate a referral for your services.
References:
- Lin FR & Ferruci L (2012). Hearing loss and falls among older adults in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine: 172(4):369-371.
- Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, Ames D, Ballard C, Banerjee S, et al. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of Lancet Commission. The Lancet Commissions: 396(10248):413-446
- Lin FR, Pike JR, Albers MS, et al. (2023). Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the United States (ACHIEVE): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 402(10404):786-797.
