Hearing the call for help: Local company provides hearing healthcare to people in need

by Maritime
Categories: News Archive
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    For those battling poverty, often securing the necessities of life – food, clothing and shelter – force all other concerns to the back burner.

    Take hearing for example. To be able to hear is a pretty important, and yet for those with bigger concerns like what to eat for the day or where to sleep that night, the idea of having your hearing checked is off the radar.

    WEB1That’s where Provincial Hearing Halifax comes in. Owner Cole Crouse donated his time recently to perform nearly 20 hearing assessments at the Halifax Centre of Hope. After performing the assessment, if hearing devices were recommended Crouse interviewed each patient to see if they qualified for assistance under a number of existing programs, such as workers compensation, veterans affairs or social assistance. In the case that they did not qualify, Provincial Hearing was prepared to step in itself, with a bevy of donated and refurbished hearing devices available to patients in need.

    For Crouse, a board certified Hearing Instrument Specialist, anything he can to do help people in need of hearing assistance is a good thing.

    “I’m here to help as many people as I can with their hearing,” he said. “From assessment, to fitting hearing devices and also to see if there is financial assistance available, whatever is required.

    “A lot of people are unaware of some of the programs that are available to them, whether it’s workers compensation, veterans affairs or social assistance, for example, and we want to find if there’s a system in place to help them, and if not, we want to go ahead and be that support for them.”

    Hearing devices vary significantly in price, but Crouse pegged $1,000 to $3,000 per ear as a fair estimate after factoring in all services.

    Paul Clarke was one of the men who signed up for an assessment. He said he knew he had some hearing impairment form a test about three years ago, but he was glad to have his hearing assessed again and was quick to thank Crouse for his time.

    “I think this is great,” he said. “There are a lot of people walking around who do have a hearing problem and don’t even realize it. It’s good that he came here to donate his services and help people like me and everybody else.”

    Thank you to Cole Crouse and Provincial Hearing Halifax for this great initiative.