It is celebrations all around at BBR Optometry, as not only do we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, but audiologist Sarah Cain fitted her 50th patient with a hearing aid and we also marked six months working with The Hearing Care Partnership at our Hereford practice.
While we have been specialising in the provision of optometry services for many years – did we mention 50? – at the beginning of 2019 we introduced hearing services. After all, sight and sound are two of the most important human senses.
We teamed up with The Hearing Care Partnership who share the same values as us in delivering the highest standard of care to patients.
And what better way to celebrate a successful six months of providing hearing services at BBR Optometry than with in-house audiologist Sarah Cain fitting her 50th patient, Elizabeth Campbell, in our 50th anniversary year.
Sight and hearing are two important elements
“It was a natural progression to offer specialist hearing services. Sight and hearing are two important elements in our lives and by offering both services our clients can enjoy the same level of experience and care they have come to expect from us through The Hearing Care Partnership,” said Nick Black, optometrist at BBR Optometry.
For Sarah the celebrations were much more about a new lease of life.
Having experienced hearing loss from a young age, Elizabeth recently visited Sarah to have her hearing checked for the first time. Hearing aids can provide a new lease of life to those with hearing loss and for Elizabeth it was like “seeing in colour.”
Sarah explained: “I always knew I had a problem with my hearing but thought it wasn't bad enough to need hearing aids, it wasn't until I was 38 that I got my hearing tested.
“I often struggled to hear if there was background noise or if the person talking to me was not facing me. I often guessed what people were saying or asked them to repeat it multiple times. I am a musician and often struggled to hear the vocals and guitar parts of songs, so I learned to play the bass guitar as I could hear that part best.
“After my hearing test, Sarah explained to me that I have a type of hearing loss known as 'cookie bite.’ I misheard and thought she had said cuckoo-bar. Sarah explained that my mid-range hearing is poor and that this condition is congenital - I've had it since I was born. Cookie bite hearing loss affects how I hear speech and music.
“I decided to go ahead and invest in a pair of hearing aids, Sarah fitted them and explained how to look after them. She showed me how to connect them to my phone so I can listen to music through them and take calls through them too.
Hearing life in colour
“Hearing via the aids is like seeing in colour, after previously only seeing in black and white. Music has so much more depth. I'm not so tired all the time as I'm not having to focus so much on what people are saying. I'm not constantly saying 'pardon' and another good thing is that the hearing aids are very discreet.”
If you’re concerned about your hearing, or simply want reassurance, The Hearing Partnership provides a range of services at BBR Optometry in St Owen Street, Hereford.
Audiologist Sarah can provide:
- Complimentary hearing test
- Ear wax removal
- Tinnitus consultations
- Hearing protection
You can call the team on 01432 265 030, email enquiries@bbroptomtery.co.uk or use our online booking service.
Image caption: Sarah Cain, THCP audiologist, Elizabeth and Nick Black, BBR Optometry CEO