BHI Screens Boomers for Hearing Loss at AARP

October 21, 2011 - Over a 3 day period at the AARP Convention in Los Angeles, the BHI conducted 21 continuous convention floor hours of free hearing threshold screenings to hundreds of Boomers and senior citizens using our teaching audiogram. At times AARP members stood in a line more than a dozen people long to get tested, wondering if all those years of rock concerts and discos had impacted their hearing. This was a well attended show (17,561 people) with every conceivable product and service represented to improve the quality of lives of this generation of consumers. In total, eight hearing health organizations or hearing aid manufacturers were represented.



Check out the BHI in action at AARP on YouTube

Our consumer trade-show panels were designed to communicate:

• Myths about hearing loss
  
• The impact of hearing aids on quality of life
  
• The prevalence of hearing loss & the fact that physicians seldom screen for hearing loss

In addition, we solicited support for the Hearing Aid Tax Credit bill and handed out close to 500 call to action cards.

Nearly 2,000 earplugs were gobbled up with the message "Protect Your Hearing". We also used the earplugs as a teaching tool by asking people to see if they could function in their daily lives with the earplugs in their ears. The consequent 32 dB sound reduction clinically would amount to a "mild" hearing loss. Our message was that, even with this so-called "mild" loss, they would in fact find it quite difficult if not impossible to function in their daily lives. In addition, attendees were given a copy of our extensive "Your Guide to Better Hearing" to take home for further review.

BHI's involvement in AARP was a great success. We are very thankful for the dedicated and professional service of our volunteers: Wadad Shalhub, AuD, Sonus;Brie Williams, Sonus;Kimberly Schatz, Sonus;Hermine Karapetyan, Sonus;Eduardo Leon, Sonus;Melissa Castro, Sonus;Charles Yoc, Sonus;Lora McDunn, Miracle Ear;Richard Wagner, Miracle Ear;Lisa Wagner, Miracle Ear;Estela Villasenor, Miracle Ear;Annamarie Cova, Sonus;Matthew Jones, BHI and Dr. Sergei Kochkin, BHI Executive Director.

The next AARP convention is in New Orleans and BHI will be there!!!