Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:13:14 +0000
From: Debra Henzey
Subject: Chatham Senior Center Needs Hearing Aid Users for Mentoring Program
Contact: Megan Adkins, 919-542-4512
January 12, 2015
Chatham Senior Center Needs Hearing Aid Users for Mentoring Program
PITTSBORO – Chatham County’s Eastern Senior Center in Pittsboro has partnered with the NC Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing to provide individual support for new hearing aid users, but experienced hearing aid users also are needed to serve as mentors.
The division, which is part of the NC Department of Health & Human Services, provides services for those who are deaf, hard of hearing and both deaf and blind. It is working with the county’s Eastern Senior Center in Pittsboro, a designated Center of Excellence, to provide the CHAMP support program for those new to using hearing aids. CHAMP is the acronym for Communication and Hearing Assistance Mentoring Program.
The goal of CHAMP is to ensure that individuals new to hearing aid use are actually using them and not keeping them in a drawer. An experienced hearing aid user will be matched with a rookie user to guide and encourage them on the journey towards being comfortable with using a hearing aid.
Besides peer mentoring on hearing aid usage, CHAMP also helps identify other community resources, makes referrals to hearing professionals if needed, and provides education on common hearing loss issues as well as “tips” on how to improve communication with family and friends.
For more information or to sign up as a new user or volunteer, please contact Megan Adkins, volunteer coordinator for the Senior Center, at 919-542-4512
In keeping with the NC Public Records Law, e-mails, including attachments, may be released to others upon request for inspection and copying.
Debra Henzey
Chatham County Director of Community Relations
919-542-8258
Cell 919-548-4662