All of us at Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center are thrilled with how well our event went on Saturday! Partnering up with Hearing the Call Colorado was a success, and we can’t wait for our next event in Arvada this coming December. 

Hearing loss can be quite isolating for individuals, and as Dr. Rudden explains, the coronavirus pandemic has made access to hearing care more critical than ever: “Especially in this time, where we are wearing masks and there is less socializing, people are isolated, and when they don’t hear well, they feel even more isolated. This event is opening the door for people whose insurance may not cover hearing loss needs, or for patients who may not have the financial resources to pay for both hearing aids. We wanted to fill that gap.”

How did the event become a reality?
Dr. Rudden has been a member of Hearing the Call for the past year, and she wanted to make sure that those in her own community were also getting the help they deserve. That’s why she reached out to other industry leaders about a Colorado branch, and soon found people in other audiology practices across the state that were interested in helping. Representatives from the six different audiology practices that make up Hearing the Call Colorado participated in running the clinic Saturday, including audiologists from Animas Valley Audiology in Durango, Columbine Hearing Care in Littleton, Flatirons Audiology in Lafayette, McArthur Audiology in Burlington and New Leaf Hearing Clinic in Arvada. We even had a group from Entheos Audiology Cooperative in Fort Wayne volunteer on Saturday! It was a true representation of the community coming together for the greater good. 

What does Hearing the Call Provide?
At Saturday’s event, we were able to help 14 individuals with hearing loss have their hearing tested, and if necessary, fitted for hearing aids at little to low cost (cost was determined based on income). But the benefits don’t end there! All the patients we helped on Saturday will continue to receive a year of complementary aftercare. And after that year-long period, they will only be charged $15 per office visit—a lifetime of affordable hearing care.  

Another beautiful aspect of Hearing the Call Colorado is their fostering of good will. As part of its mission, Hearing the Call Colorado asks that those who receive care give back to their communities, like asking patients to do some community service on an honor system. With the pandemic in mind and the risks associated, Dr. Rudden hopes instead to have inspired Saturday’s patients to do small acts of kindness, whether picking up trash in their neighborhood or reading a book to their grandchild.

How did Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center find these patients?
Dr. Rudden was connected to patients through nonprofit agencies, including the OUR Center, a nonprofit that helps provide basic needs to people; Out Boulder, an LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit, and Intercambio, a nonprofit resource center for immigrants. If you want to know about the next Hearing the Call event, be sure to follow Longmont Hearing and Tinnitus Center on Facebook.

What is the best part of the day?
“Seeing the joy on someone’s face when they realize what they’ve been missing — it’s really magical. We call it a ‘hearing smile.’ It can be emotional for people, sometimes they cry, sometimes they get wide-eyed. Imagine being able to hear for the first time.” — Dr. Rudden. At the end of the day, this is what the event is all about—restoring hearing to those who need it most. Events like Hearing the Call Colorado and volunteers like Dr. Rudden and her colleagues make that dream a reality.

Hearing loss is serious and should not be ignored. If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss, don’t delay. Reach out to us for an appointment and we’ll do everything we can to ensure you get the treatment you need.

All of us at Longmont Hearing and Tinnitus Center believe that better hearing can lead to better living—you could say it’s a mantra of ours. Unfortunately, hearing loss is an issue millions of people around the world face daily. For many in the United States, untreated hearing loss can lead to isolation, depression, and lower earning potential. And in many other countries, it’s even worse. Over the years, we’ve learned that hearing loss frequently leads to ostracization, little or no education, and at times even physical abuse. It’s devastating. Which is why we’re dedicated to doing everything within our power to diagnose and treat hearing loss. As you can imagine, not all are fortunate enough to have access to hearing health care. In fact, over 466 million people in the world face this situation – and 34 million of them are children.

Even here in Colorado, many communities lack access to hearing health care. And in response to that, many of them end up isolating themselves when they can no longer keep up with the conversation. They choose to stay in, versus going out with their friends, or they stop frequenting the clubs they once enjoyed. Over the years, we’ve heard countless stories from patients that have stopped their most cherished activities due to their hearing loss. One woman told us about her decision to stop her favorite pastime—hiking. While on the trail, she’d have a hard time hearing others trying to communicate with her. And oftentimes, faster hikers became annoyed with her, and sometimes even resorted to making mean remarks when she did not step aside when asked. The real shame being their assumption that she’s rude and careless, as opposed to it being that she had simply not heard the request to pass in the first place. It’s a common story, and one we hear all too often.

As you can imagine, we don’t like hearing these stories, and we want to be part of the solution! That’s why Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center and Dr. Rudden have partnered with Hearing the Call to serve people within our own communities. Hearing the Call is a nonprofit organization committed to bringing hope and healing to the hearing-impaired globally and locally. We’re excited about our first local event on October 3rd—in just a few days! While this month’s event is all booked up—it’s by appointment only—fear not, we have another one coming up in December that will be hosted in Arvada. Be sure to check back with us for details on when to sign up for the next event!

Hearing the Call employs a Hand Up — Not a Handout approach. What does that mean? Simply put, every beneficiary of the program must donate 10 hours of volunteer time to organizations within their community. That’s the beauty of the program: those with hearing loss get the help they need and in turn, provide help and support to others, too.

Whether you suffer from hearing loss or not, you can participate by donating to the cause! Your tax-deductible donations help to provide equipment, state-of-the-art hearing devices, supplies, services, and support for training and education to those in your own community that qualify. Every penny helps, and your donation goes towards creating a world where everyone can live their best, most fulfilled life. Visit www.HearingTheCall.org/Colorado to donate today! 

Of course, if you have noticed anything different with your hearing and you want us to take a look, you know where to find us, give us a call to schedule an appointment today—we’re here to help.