Helping The Hard Of Hearing And Making Others Aware Of Those With Sight Loss

Published on: 17 Sep, 2015
Updated on: 18 Sep, 2015

By David Rose

Tracey Wade has a busy role co-ordinating a scheme that helps people get the best from their hearing aids via a network of volunteers, setting up lip-reading courses and providing training so people can better understand others with impaired vision.

She is the sensory inclusion advisor for the Diocese of Guildford within its Communities Engagement Team. A team that is quietly working on various projects that help people in a number of ways while strengthening communities in the process.

Tracey Wade is the sensory inclusion advisor for the Diocese of Guildford within its Communities Engagement Team. Items pictured include replacement batteries for hearing aids, tools for the maintenance of them, and various glasses and goggles used in her work explaining the difficulties people have who are visually impaired.

The Hear Here scheme Tracey heads up has been a great success and continues to expand, probably because it is very simple.

Volunteer hearing champions are recruited, usually through their churches, and, after training, give free advice to people to ensure their hearing aids are in working order.

They have a supply of replacement batteries and they can also undertake maintenance and cleaning of hearing aids.

Tracey explains: “I took on the role in November 2011. There had previously been a chaplain who worked with people who were hard of hearing.

“ I spent 12 months networking to see what support there was people with a hearing loss within the Diocese of Guildford.

“I attended a hard of hearing forum hosted by Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, which looked at ways of improving statuary services. Areas that were identified included there being a lack of aftercare to patients by audiology departments at local hospitals.

“I met with health personnel linked with community services, attended patients’ panel groups and noticed that there was frustration among some patients over the aftercare service.”

Following a community meeting with Epsom and St Helier hospital audiology team Tracey considered how the church could help with the audiology’s request for support from the wider community.

To the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford she pitched the idea of a network of volunteers who would assist with hearing aid aftercare, not at a hospital, but in the parishes and their communities.

The hospital liked the suggesting and the Hear Here project was the result.

The project’s hearing champion volunteers are trained in all aspects of giving advice and help to people with hearing aids, from changing batteries and care of the plastic tubes.

Churches support their Hearing Champions who go about their work in a number of ways. It could be advising people after the regular Sunday service, at lunch clubs and also during home visits.

Some volunteers have set up regular sessions where people can drop in to collect replacement batteries for behind-the-ear NHS hearing aids, new tubes, or have them cleaned.

Volunteers also give advice and help so that the hearing aids are worn correctly.

These hearing champions are given the freedom to offer advice to others at times and in ways that suits them. They may like to hold coffee mornings, simple drop-in clinics – a set time that visitors can pop in to pick up batteries and/or have their hearing aids re-tubed.

A network of volunteers assist with hearing aid aftercare.

Tracey adds: “Some of our parishes got the idea and benefits of the scheme very quickly, realising it is more than simply supplying batteries for hearing aids. They know that the help and advice goes a long way not only for people’s wellbeing, but satisfaction for the volunteer and for building community relations.

“Residents who live in isolated places have found the service invaluable. At Normandy, the service is offered at a Saturday market that is held there. There are tea and cakes to enjoy and a lovely social atmosphere.

“The vicar was pleased to see people getting to know one another much more.”

A monthly café held at the village hall in Rowledge was identified by the hearing champions there, who operate in a rural community, as an ideal place to deliver the service from. The refreshments sold there means that it is self funding too.

Tracey says that a card of aid batteries usually last a couple of months. It is known that some people, if they can’t get replacements easily, may stop using their hearing aid, put it in a drawer and forget about it. Going to a social events keeps them in touch and hopefully means their hearing aid is always in working order.

The national charity Action On Hearing Loss offers a similar service across the country, but has no presence in Surrey.

Have you heard about the hearing champions and the Hear Here service?

The Guildford diocese’s communities engagement team has also secured funding to offer lipreading classes across Surrey in conjunction with Surrey Adult Learning.

Tracey explains that lipreading is a vital communication skill for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and can help tackle isolation.

It is widely recognised that lipreading can help people of all ages, with any degree of hearing loss, to communicate better.

Although you cannot learn to lipread everything, classes give people the tools and awareness to develop their skills. They will improve confidence and it is a great way to do something positive and practical about hearing loss.

The first classes are taking place in Englefield Green in the John Monsell Room at St Jude’s church on the morning of October 2. The Guildford Diocese is fairly wide ranging!

It is hoped that classes will also be taking place at a venue in Godalming, with classes in Banstead already organised.

Lipreading classes are very informal and friendly and are taught by a qualified teacher of lipreading to adults. It’s not like going back to school; those attending can go at their own pace in a relaxed adult atmosphere.

Helping people with sight loss is an area currently untapped by the communities engagement team, but they are well on the way to helping people.

Tracey has completed one module of a total of six that will result in a foundation degree in rehabilitation for the visually impaired.

She already has the skills to train others to assist people by being a sighting guide.

Training has been given to some of the staff at Diocesan House in Quarry Street, Guildford, to understand the difficulties people suffer in their daily lives from sight loss.

Tracey says: “Advice can be passed to others about diet, encouraging people to have regular eye checks and the awareness of workshops on the subject that I will be hosted in local parishes.

“A session in MIlford included the technique of the three As – Ask, Approach and Assist. Those attending the workshop were asked to always consider those first when meeting or helping someone with sight loss. They understood the concept straight away and are now putting that into practice.”

Another piece of good training for people is teaching them to identify whether those with failing eye sight are withdrawing from what had once been normal activities. Checking to see whether they have been losing confidence in being able to negotiate their local environment and so on, and if so, offer them help.

There is certainly a lot for Tracey to do. And the more ‘champions’ that can be recruited, the more advice and help can be offered to communities throughout a large part of Surrey and parts of north-east Hampshire.

For more details about her work, contact Tracey Wade on 01483 790327.

Mobile: 07531 268476.

Email: Tracey.Wade@cofeguildford.org.uk