TORONTO, March 3, 2021 /CNW/ - HearingLife, Canada's leading local hearing care provider, is celebrating World Hearing Day on March 3 with a variety of opportunities sure to have Canadians' ears perk up. Activities include free testing and a free online educational seminar. Additionally, Canadians are invited to join HearingLife's first-ever Hear-A-Thon to raise funds for hearing aid donations to Canadians in need. This global celebration hits home in Canada, where some of the world's most innovative hearing health initiatives originated.
World Hearing Day is part of a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative. Nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide ─ or 1 in 4 people ─ will be living with some degree of hearing loss by 2050, warns the WHO's first World Report on Hearing, released yesterdayi. Locally, almost half of Canadians over 60 have some form of hearing lossii. Many suffer needlessly, unaware of free testing options and the vast technological advances available when it comes to the newest hearing aid devices.
The urgency to get tested increased in 2020, with both the pandemic cutting people off from their support systems, as well as news from The Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, identifying hearing loss as the greatest modifiable risk factor for dementiaiii.
"So many Canadians have been socially isolated for almost a year now. Imagine how challenging that is for those who also suffer in silence," said Jillian Price, HearingLife's chief audiologist. "This World Hearing Day, we are turning up the volume to let Canadians know that they're not alone when it comes to their hearing challenges."
Price added, "Whether it's free hearing tests by caring, licensed hearing healthcare professionals at any of our 250-plus clinics, or the free educational Facebook Live session that can be done conveniently from home. HearingLife is providing a variety of convenient options empowering people to support hearing health awareness on World Hearing Day, while also supporting their fellow Canadians."
Ways Canadians can participate in World Hearing Day 2021 include:
Participate in a free, educational Facebook Live session on March 3 from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET, featuring HearingLife's chief audiologist. No RSVP necessary.
Be sure to "like" HearingLife Canada's Facebook page to be notified when the session goes live.
Additionally, from March 3 to March 7, Canadians can participate in HearingLife's Hear-A-Thon by posting support with the following hashtags promoting World Hearing Day and supporting hearing testing. Each post generates a $1 allocation to the Campaign for Better Hearing.
#hearathon2021
#worldhearingday
#hearingcare
#safelistening
#hearinglifecanada
Starting in Canada as the National Campaign for Better Hearing, the Campaign for Better Hearing movement has since expanded to more than 11 countries. The program educates the public about the effects of untreated hearing loss and the importance of making hearing tests part of the annual health regimen for people over the age of 60. The campaign challenges all Canadians to "Test Your Ears at 60 Years."
Since 2015, more than $1.6 million has been raised by HearingLife to support the distribution of hundreds of free hearing aids to Canadians nationwide who cannot afford them. In 2020, 200 hearing aids were donated. Despite monthslong closures, the caring staff behind more than 250 HearingLife clinics conducted an impressive 64,423 free hearing tests, resulting in a $4 allocation per test to the life-changing campaign.
HearingLife continues to help Canadians stay connected through numerous convenient and safe options, including in-person clinic visits, phone support, online chat support, online ordering, and a variety of self-help videos and guides. For assistance or to book a free, no-obligation hearing test – no physician referral needed – call 1-855-785-3616 or find a HearingLife location near you online at www.hearinglife.ca.
REFERENCES
i https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2021-who-1-in-4-people-projected-to-have-hearing-problems-by-2050
ii CampaignForBetterHearing.ca/Research
iii Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of The Lancet Commission. Lancet. 2020;396(10248):413-446. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6
