SPEAKER: Rhose Shand (Hearing Therapist)
Our speaker was Rhose Shand who is a hearing therapist with Life Unlimited Hearing and is based at the Hearing Association rooms in Southampton Street, Hastings.
Many of the Rotarians in the room were wearing hearing aids but none of them had any trouble understanding Rhose’s talk, as Rhose spoke slowly, with careful pronunciation and at a normal speaking level.
We learned a lot by observing Rhose’s presentation and appreciated that communication is far more than just the spoken word, but includes facial expression, body language and the topic.
Rhose gave us extensive advice on coping with hearing loss. She advised us all to have a hearing test, so that if our hearing suddenly deteriorated because of an accident, illness or other cause, the results of the initial test would be an important benchmark.
Rhose also advised those of us who wear hearing aids to wear them all the time. Using hearing aids just when ‘going out’ was very ineffective.
Rhose told us the story of a man (who was possibly a member of our club!) who was concerned about his wife’s hearing. After receiving advice on some exercises he could undertake, he decided to do a test. Whilst his wife was working at the kitchen sink, he asked from the doorway “What’s for dinner?”. On hearing no response, he went half way across the kitchen and said, “What’s for dinner?”. Still nothing. So, he went right up to his wife and over her shoulder said, “What’s for dinner?”. His wife replied, “For the third time – it’s chicken!”
Hearing evaluations with Rhose are free of charge.
The website is www.lifeunlimted.net.nz and her office phone number is 06 876 7210.