Free Hearing Wellness Expo offers help for hearing loss

“We R HEAR 4 U!,” a free, non-commercial informational Hearing Wellness Expo for people and families struggling with hearing loss, will be held April 13 at the Tarrant County Medical Society auditorium.

Presented by local non-profit organizations, the educational event will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It is fully accessible, with an assistive listening system and live captioning of all proceedings. The address is 555 Hemphill Street at Pennsylvania Avenue in Fort Worth.

Hearing loss affects people of all ages, but particularly those age 60 and over. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for preventing potential serious consequences, including risks of falling and dementia. Noise is a major factor in hearing loss.

Presentations will cover the basics of hearing loss, latest developments in hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other treatments. It will showcase assistive technology for situations where hearing aids offer limited benefit, such as noisy situations, meeting rooms, telephones, televisions, theaters and performance halls, and work environments.

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Other sessions will include new findings on genetics of hearing loss, progress on other medical research, and the importance of early detection and intervention for infants, children, and adults.

The expo offers resources and links, including on-the-job assistance and potential funding for hearing devices and technology.

Speakers include doctors of audiology, a medical doctor (ENT), researchers, assistive device technologists, and a certified genetics counselor.Participating organizations include the Sertoma Club of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), the Deaf Action Center of Dallas and Fort Worth, Cook Children’s Hospital, and the Tarrant County Medical Society.

PRESENTATIONS AND SPEAKERS

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“Hearing Aids 101: Hearing Disorders/Hearing Aids” – Marylyn Koble, M.S., CCC-A, Audiology Associates of Arlington “Genetics and Hearing Loss” – Becky Althaus, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, CGC (certified genetics counselor), Genetics Clinic at Cook Children’s Hospital “Assistive Technology for Persons with Hearing Loss” – Gema De La O, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Technology Specialist, Deaf Action Center “Never Too Early! Diagnosing Hearing Problems in Infants and Children” – Lisa Christensen, Au.D., Program Manager of Audiology at Cook Children’s Hospital and President of the American Academy of Audiology “Hearing Regeneration/Hair Cell Regeneration” – Marc Dean, MD (ENT, Rhinotology), Fort Worth Ear and Sinus, President of the Otorhinologic Research Institute Panel Presentation by three members of HLAA relating varied hearing loss experiences and results – FWBP Staff