THIS COULD TAKE A WHILE….
Oh were to start…
Its been a while since I’ve written anything on here. Lots has been happening so maybe its time for an update.
As I’m sure you’ve read, hospital life is currently a little different than we are used to. For a 2nd time this year, NHS Audiology services are closing their doors across the country so that staff can be redeployed to more vital services within their hospitals. As capacity is stretched to its limit and skilled staff are in short supply, outpatient services are cancelling all non-urgent services. But where does that leave us? Even the most positive among us will start to have doubts
This pandemic has pushed us to breaking point…we’ll get through this, we always will. But at what cost? We’ve taken a few wrong turns along the way but there may not have been any better options. Sadly, too many people have died, and the names are starting to become the ones that we recognise. Would it have been more? Could it have been less? You or I don’t know the answer to that, but the actions we can all take now will be the ones that can get us out of this. Do the right thing, take the advice even if you don’t necessarily agree with it, protect yourself and others around you.
At Essex Clear Ears, we have used this time to think about how we can still provide a vital health care service, whilst offering a safe environment for our patients and staff. We still believe communication is key to our well-being. Our service provides several benefits, it enables communication to loved ones via virtual family gatherings, (the Essex Clear Ears virtual bingo is now a staple weekend activity!) Keeping you entertained with the latest boxset on netflix or enjoying the dulcet tones of Sir Attenborough on iPlayer. Those all important medical appointments that have been cancelled only to be replaced with a telephone consultation. I can get technical about how our neural activity relies on the stimulation of our auditory pathways but I feel I may be loosing you already….basically, hearing is one of the most, if not THE most important senses. (I’m open to discussion on this one..) We need to look after it to help maintain our brains health, its so much more than just listening.
Our patients well-being is at the heart of what we do and we want you to feel safe in doing this. We have made changes to our clinics to ensure the safest possible option for everyone involved. This has reduced our capacity per week so you may have to wait a few extra days but there’s good reason for this; our appointments are taking longer whilst we go above and beyond the guidelines that have been set and numbers are limited to ensure complete infection control between patients. As has now become standard at all our appointments whether in clinic or at a home visit, staff will always be wearing face masks, gloves and disposable aprons at all times during your treatment.
On top of these clinical changes, we have noticed a big increase in the number of our patients who are hearing aid users that, due to the closure of their audiology clinic, are struggling to keep the regular maintenance of their aids upto date. For this reason, Essex Clear Ears now offers a free basic maintenance and advice for the care of your hearing aids. We will be carrying a limited supply of spares for certain hearing aids and will endeavor to get your hearing aids back to the best possible condition we can.
And keep an eye on our facebook page where we will soon be launching a series of self help videos aimed at fixing and maintaining your own hearing aids, how to look after your ears and things you can do with around to the house to help you hear better.
Please feel free to get in touch with any comments or queries you might have. There’s a surprising amount of advice I can offer over the phone or emails.
