Geelong Cochlear Care Centre will host a series of free community hearing awareness events while celebrating its first birthday next week.
The events will coincide with International Cochlear Implant Day, on Monday, and precede Hearing Awareness Week, from 3 to 9 March.
The Geelong centre opened as part of Cochlear’s state-wide launch in collaboration with the Royal Eye and Ear Hospital in Victoria last February.
Cochlear is the first regional service of its kind, providing support for over 400 adults and children in the Geelong area.
The birthday celebration kicking off on Sunday is open to the local community, people with hearing loss, recipients, their families, local hearing health professionals, and state government bodies.
The event aims to promote hearing health and the importance of preventing and treating hearing loss.
One in six Australians, approximately 3.6 million people, are affected by hearing loss.
In Victoria it is estimated that 168,000 people live with severe-to-profound hearing loss.
As part of its commitment to the local community, the Geelong Cochlear Care Centre is dedicated to raising awareness about how those living with hearing loss may find a better quality of life through its services and the referral pathways available to access support.
The weeklong event series is a celebration of the cochlear implant recipients the team has helped to-date and is a way to broaden awareness of the services available within the community.
RSVP is essential for the following events:
· first birthday celebration party for local customers, recipients and interested public featuring afternoon tea, free kids activities and more, 1-4pm Sunday 24 February at Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, 51 Little Malop Street, Geelong. RSVP via carecentre.geelong@cochlear.com;
· Discover Hearing Implants sessions about cochlear and bone conduction implants, including options for your hearing beyond hearing aids, from 10am-midday Tuesday, 2pm-4pm Wednesday, and 10am-midday 1 March 2019. RSVP via carecentre.geelong@cochlear.com; and
· Cochlear Recipient Gathering for recipients to learn more about their devices, 2pm-4pm Tuesday. RSVP via carecentre.geelong@cochlear.com.
