Help for the hard of hearing

Editor:

Hardly a day goes by that I am not thankful to live in Green Valley. I guess I am one of the 30 percent to 40 percent of folks over the age of 60 years that the “Merck” Company says is hard of hearing. This caring community has gone out of its way to make life more pleasant for those of us who have lost our ability to hear well.

I would like to thank the many churches, Pima County Library, senior centers, retirement facilities and GVR centers for installing assistive listening equipment for folks like me.

Recently I had the opportunity to listen to lectures from hearing professionals at La Posada and Casa Esperanza facilities. These have been presented by ALOHA, Adult Loss of Hearing Association. There have been so many advances in new ways to help folks with hearing loss and we likely would not have known of this without these special programs.

For example, next Monday, Aug. 4, Dr. Tom Muller of the University of Arizona, a medical doctor who both teaches and performs cochlear implants, will be lecturing at La Posada recreation center at 10 a.m. The lecture is free to the public.

If there are readers who are among the 30 percent to 40 percent who have hearing loss, I would encourage them to attend and to enjoy the many lectures offered to us in the Green Valley community. Thank you for your attention.

Rosalie Ballard, Green Valley