Chester Care Home Residents Given Helping Hand to Hear Better

Residents at a Chester care home have been given expert advice and practical support to help them hear better and stay connected, thanks to a partnership to bring specialist support directly into the community.

Deaf & Sensory Network (DSN) joined forces with Care UK and The Hearing Centre, Northwich, for a special hearing health event at Deewater Grange care home in Huntington, Chester.

The visit was the latest stop on DSN's summer roadshow, and follows a similarly successful event at Care UK's Long Stone Manor care home in Wilmslow.

Residents had the chance to see practical technology designed to support people living with hearing loss, including specialist doorbells, television amplifiers and listening devices that make group conversations easier to follow. The Hearing Centre team offered advice on hearing tests, hearing aids and protecting hearing health, while DSN's sensory support team was on hand outside with information and signposting for residents, families and visitors.

The event opened up conversations among residents about their own experiences of hearing loss. Several had previously worked in noisy industrial environments or served in the Armed Forces, while others recognised familiar signs such as needing the television louder or struggling to follow conversations. By the end of the day, four residents had been referred for further hearing support.

Gill Reeder, Chief Executive of DSN, said:

"People routinely think about having their eyes tested or going to the dentist, but hearing health still isn't something we always give the same attention to. Hearing loss can happen gradually, so people may not realise how much they are missing.

"Events like this give people the chance to have those conversations, understand what support is available and get further help if they need it. Working in partnership with organisations like Care UK and The Hearing Centre allows us to take that support directly into communities, reaching people who might otherwise not know where to turn - and helping them live healthier, more independent and more fulfilling lives."

Robert Crane, Home Manager, said:

"It was a really positive day for our residents and gave them the chance to talk openly about their hearing and find out what support is available. We had some lovely feedback, and it's fantastic that the event has already resulted in residents being referred for further support."

DSN works in partnership with care homes, healthcare professionals, charities and community organisations across Cheshire and North Wales to make hearing and sensory support more accessible. Its summer roadshow is taking information, practical advice and specialist support directly into communities, helping people recognise hearing loss sooner and understand where they can turn for help.

For more information about DSN and their work, visit: 

www.dsnonline.co.uk 

...or contact them via email: 

dsn@dsnonline.co.uk

Pictured -  DSN celebrate the delivery of a hearing workshop with the team from Deewater Grange Care Home in Huntington: L-R: DSN's Becki Beadles and Cheryl Beekman, with Liz Wilson-Lamb, Customer Relations Manager from Deewater Grange, with Home Manger Rob Crane, DSN's CEO Gill Reeder, with The Hearing Centre's Clare Snelling and DSN's community liaison officer Kerry Clarke.