Keeping Them in the ‘Loop’
By Sharon Letts, The Times-Standard, December 9, 2008
NOTE: NVRC has one of the loop pads from Pure Direct Sound in our demo room
Arcata resident Judd Jackson feels like a kid again.
“The best way I can describe it is I can hear as well as I did when I was 4 or 5 years old,” Jackson said of his new home hearing system, called a loop system.
Eureka audiologist Dr. Joanna Marcuz of Humboldt Audiology recently donated a loop system to the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka. Marcuz said she first learned about the system while studying to become an audiologist.
“When I was working in the Bay Area I became aware of an audiologist in Santa Rosa that has done a lot of work installing loop systems in that community,” she explained. “He has had a very positive impact on his community by educating the public about this technology and providing systems to churches and community centers.”
A loop system works in conjunction with hearing aids and blocks out ambient sounds, such as background noises and echoes, that a hearing aid user would normally pick up while watching television or in a public space, like the dining room at the senior center.
Marcuz said in order for the system to work, the hearing aid needs to have a little device called a telecoil.
“Most hearing aids will have a telecoil, but not all hearing aids have the telecoil activated,” she said. “Some older hearing aids may not have a functioning telecoil, or it may need to be repaired. If you are buying a new hearing aid, you want to make sure it has a telecoil so you can benefit from this technology. Most often there is no additional cost for a telecoil or a very minimal charge in some cases.”
According to loop distributor Dick Myers of Pure Direct Sound in Redmond, Wash., the loop kit can be installed anywhere.
“The loop kit sends sound directly into the ears of people with hearing aids containing telecoils simply by their sitting in a chair over a loop pad, or by being within a wire loop — put under the carpet or along the baseboard,” he explained. “The television, VCR/DVD, cable box and/or microphone connects the sound into the Univox amplifier — which has a volume control — which feeds the sound into the loop. It is very simple, effective and inexpensive.”
The loop pad, when placed under a chair, is very easy to use and Myers said it has a 35-foot cord which can go from the chair, along the wall to the amplifier sitting next to the television/VCR/cable box. He said users of the loop can also have the choice of receiving 100 feet of wire instead of the loop pad. He added that the loop kit can also be used in a car along with a microphone and a power adapter.
According to Marcuz, one in three people over age 65 have hearing loss, with the numbers climbing as a person ages.
“Among seniors, hearing loss is the third most prevalent disabling condition behind arthritis and hypertension,” she said. “Left untreated, hearing loss can lead to increased anxiety, depression and decreased independence and social activity.”
The good news, she said, is that 90 to 95 percent of people with hearing loss can be successfully treated with hearing aids. The loop system, if installed in the home or in public places, such as the senior center’s dining room, works with the hearing aid to enhance listening quality.
Jessica Osborne is the activities program coordinator at the center, and she said the dining room is one of the noisiest rooms in the facility. Participants enjoyed a noticeable improvement once the system was installed.
“The dining room is the biggest room in the agency, which makes it ideal for community presentations and large group events, in addition to its duties as the lunch room,” Osborne said.
Before Marcuz had the loop system installed, she gave a presentation to the seniors at the center. Once it was installed, Osborne said, the results were positive and immediate.
“Following Dr. Marcuz’s presentation, one of our regular seniors visited her audiologist and had her telecoil activated,” Osborne continued. “A week later, while I was giving announcements, the same participant got a huge smile on her face and gave me a double thumbs up. She could hear everything perfectly, and said ‘It just sounds beautiful.’ Since then, several other clients have activated their telecoils, and have commented on the effectiveness of the loop.”
Once Marcuz decided to donate a system, her office did some research and found the senior center in Eureka was a good fit.
“The center has such a wonderful space for speakers and presentations and groups,” Marcuz said. “I think the loop system can make it even more accessible for those with hearing impairment. It will take some time to educate the community about how to use the loop and how to make sure their hearing aids are ready to receive the loop signal. That’s what we’re trying to do now, get the word out and help folks learn how to access this new resource.”
Now that the loop system is a “hit,” Osborne said, the center’s goal is to offer the room to other groups that may benefit.
“We’d like to create partnerships with other community groups that work with the hearing impaired, to see if we can offer our space and this amazing technology for their use,” Osborne said. “This is an incredible community resource, and we’d like to help as many people as possible.”
- Thanks to bhNEWS and NVRC, Fairfax
