Pledge/Prayer: President Gerri
Song: Bill McLaughlin
Brents Card Game Winner: Bob Hester
Welcome: Lee David, Tom Cloutier, Peter Corbett, Noel Bishop, Matt Sullivan, Martha Jove-D'Amato (speaker)
Sergeants Report: Keith
Raffle Winners: Gerri, Bob Hester, Lee David
Happy Bucks
Announcements:
Brent: Golf Tournament - We're in big trouble - we need to get going! For new signs, go thru Brent.
Marty: Passed around a signup sheet for volunteers. There will be a morning shift (9:30-12:30), an afternoon shift (12:30-4) and of course, all day for those hearty soles. Please let Marty know if you can work and the time.
Bill Suits announced there will be a meeting of the Outreach Committee following the regular meeting.
Bill McLaughlin announced that the Katherine Hepburn Performing Arts fundraiser auction netted over $56K and that Rotary was a big part of that (we donated $1000). Pres. Gerri was the chairperson and Bill was the auctioneer.
Program: Martha Jove-D'Amato
Martha is an audiologist for L&M Hospital and her topic was hearing loss, hearing aids and strategies. May is Better Speach & Hearing Month. L&M has 3 hearing center sites: the hospital, Pequot Medical and the new facility in Old Saybrook. There are 2 types of hearing loss: Conductive, in which the outer or middle ear is affected preventing sound waves from reaching the auditory nerve and the most common, Sensory Hearing Loss which is more permanent usually due to damage of the auditory hairs that vibrate and transmit sound to the nerve. You can also have a combination of these.
Treatment- There are tests and methods for determining hearing loss. The audiologist first looks inside the ear canal to check for obstruction, damage to the eardrum, etc. Tympanometry and audiograms are performed to determine the sounds that can and cannot be heard. The persons ability to understand speech is determined. You must be your own advocate. Ask people to speak louder, slower, etc. Choose restaurants that are quiet with tables not too close together for less background noise. Ask to be seated at a booth and stay away from the front entrance or kitchen entrance. If you are at a family gathering or situation where there are 6-8 people seated at a table, try and sit next to the person you want to talk to.
Hearing aids today are now digital and are computer programmable. They are available for all degrees of hearing loss. They can be adjusted and can accommodate changes such as increased hearing loss. They have become more appealing for all ages and some are very small. They can be made to match your hair color. Hearing aids range in price from $1500-$3000 - the price is a reflection of the miniaturization, R&D and follow visits. They can have multiple settings specific for TV, music, phone, golf, and any other lifestyle situation you encounter but they aren't perfect. They will pick up noises as well. Medicare does not cover hearing aids though some insurances do.
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