26 November 2015

We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present. We acknowledge the challenge that faces Indigenous leaders and families to overcome the unacceptably high levels of ear health issues among first Australians.

I want to meet Taylor Swift before I go deaf

When Jorja was told that her hearing loss would be permanent, one of her first responses was, "I won't be able to hear Taylor Swift sing!"

National Disability Employment Framework Learn about and share your opinions on a new National Disability Employment Framework to improve employment outcomes for people with disability.

Identifying hearing loss Twice as many people living in rural areas suffer hearing difficulties compared to urban residents, due to excessive noise exposure from agricultural industries. But a recent study has revealed that there is no difference in the uptake of hearing aids between urban and rural areas.

Medical Benefits Scheme review Deafness Forum’s view is that the audiology items require review to bring them into line with current clinical practice. This includes the need for a review of the rules that apply to existing items and the inclusion of additional items to cover new diagnostic procedures.

National Disability Awards Finalists and winners were announced last night in Canberra.

National Disability Awards The national awards held last night at Parliament House Canberra recognised the many passionate and hardworking individuals and organisations that work to improve inclusion and accessibility for everyone in the community.

Above: Deafness Forum of Australia chairman David Brady with Trudy Ryall, a finalist in the Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement in Disability. Trudy is one of the co-founders of Deafblind Victorians Self Advocacy Group. At right, David is with Dr Frances Gentle and Prof Greg Leigh AO from the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. Frances Gentle’s project was a co-winner in the Excellence in Accessible Technology award. Frances and her team pioneered the world’s first eLearning Braille course, UEB Online to allow sighted people to learn Braille so they can teach people who are blind or vision impaired. Pictured below are Deafness Forum chief executive Steve Williamson and Greg Leigh. Greg is the chair of Deafness Forum’s Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee. At right, David Brady is with Liberal Senator Eric Abetz and Media Access Australia chief executive Alex Varley.

Could a questionnaire identify hearing loss?

TWICE as many people living in rural areas suffer hearing difficulties compared to urban residents, due to excessive noise exposure from agricultural industries.

However, a recent study has revealed that while people living in the country are twice as likely to have hearing loss, there is no difference in the uptake of hearing aids between urban and rural areas.

This suggests that rural access to hearing services needs considerable improvement.

Researchers set out to determine whether questionnaires could accurately identify hearing loss, as an alternative to the bulky and expensive equipment currently used for standard manual audiometry tests that can be difficult to transport to rural areas.

From 2010-2013 a mobile screening bus run by the Lions Hearing Foundation in WA collected data from participants in the southwest and wheatbelt regions.

2090 participants (923 men, 1165 women, 2 unknown) with an average age of 60 years, completed questionnaires and also underwent a full manual audiometry test, to reveal the questionnaire’s accuracy.

However, hearing loss can be subjective and the researchers found they were getting a high number of false-positives with the questionnaires.

“Lots of people who didn’t have a hearing loss thought they did,” Clinical Audiologist and PhD Candidate Chris Brennan-Jones says.

Regardless of this, the study revealed that the hearing loss questionnaire was more effective in people over the age of 60 years, producing less false-positives.

This indicated that incorporating a self-reported hearing loss questionnaire into health check-ups for adults over the age of 60 years, could help rural health practitioners detect hearing difficulties sooner.

Early intervention for elderly patients with hearing loss could improve treatment outcomes and lead to a better quality of life.

“If you receive intervention for hearing loss before you retire, you’re more likely to have better communication skills when you get older,” Mr Brennan-Jones says.

Mr Brennan-Jones also says that another way access to hearing services could be improved in rural areas is through new automated hearing test technology.

These new automated hearing tests do not require the specialist skills of an audiologist, and can be operated by nurses, carers or volunteers, making it accessible to rural and primary care practice settings.

This research was conducted by the Ear Science Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia and was funded by the Lions Hearing Foundation of Western Australia.

Photo by iStock. Artcle by Anika Rodgers, at Science Network Western Australia http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/health-a-medicine/item/3898-could-a-questionnaire-identify-hearing-loss

Australian Hearing to use text messages to confirm appointments Australian Hearing has begun using SMS Appointment Confirmations (text messages) as its primary method of confirming appointments. While the new standard method of confirming appointments will be by SMS, confirmation by telephone will still be available for clients who do not have a mobile phone or who prefer contact by telephone. Australian Hearing introduced this method of communication following feedback from its clients who found it more convenient to receive a text message than a phone call and liked having this information saved on their mobile phones.

National Disability Employment Framework You are invited to participate in the second round of consultation for the development of a new National Disability Employment Framework. The Framework will aim to improve employment outcomes for people with disability by developing a more flexible system of employment services that will provide greater choice and control to the individual and better meet employer needs. In developing the Framework, the Department of Social Services is consulting widely with a range of stakeholders including; people with disability, their families and carers, employers, service providers and relevant peak bodies through two rounds of consultation. The first round of consultation centred on an Issues Paper and a set of suggested principles. A consultation report is available at www.engage.dss.gov.au A Discussion Paper has been developed outlining more detailed policy proposals. You can provide feedback via an online survey. Visit www.engage.dss.gov.au

I want to meet Taylor Swift before I go deaf

A 12-year-old girl from Australia, whose hearing is deteriorating, would like to meet Taylor Swift before she becomes completely deaf. Jorja Hope, from East Maitland in Australia, was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which will slowly worsen over time. She was born prematurely and, as a result, has suffered a number of complications. She has already had a number of surgeries on her ears, the Maitland Mercury writes. SNHL is one of the most commonly-occurring forms of hearing loss and occurs when their is damage to the structures of the inner ear, and can be caused by a number of different factors including malformation of the inner ear. In most cases, SNHL cannot be corrected through surgery or other medical interventions.

When Jorja, at left in photograph with her twin sister Chloe (Image via Facebook), was told that her hearing loss would be permanent, one of her first responses was, "I won't be able to hear Taylor Swift sing." One of Jorja's only wishes was to be able to meet Taylor Swift when she performs in Sydney on the 28th of November. Chloe decided to set up a Facebook page called Help Jorja meet Taylor swift in Sydney 2015 which she hopes will go viral and attract Taylor Swift's attention.

From Hearing Management, http://www.health24.com/Medical/Hearing-management/Hearing-in-children/12-year-old-jorja-wants-to-meet-taylor-swift-before-she-goes-deaf-20151109

Medical Benefits Scheme review Deafness Forum of Australia offered its views to the Government’s review of the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS). Medicare benefits are payable for professional health services. A professional service is a clinically relevant service which is listed on the MBS. A medical service is clinically relevant if it is generally accepted in the medical profession as necessary for the appropriate treatment of the patient. Deafness Forum’s view is that the audiology items require review to bring them into line with current clinical practice. This includes the need for a review of the rules that apply to existing items and the inclusion of additional items to cover new diagnostic procedures. Some of the rules governing the MBS in relation to referrals to and from audiologists require review in order to make the system more efficient. This change if implemented would result in it being more patient focussed. It would be reassuring for consumers to know that the MBS items were based on evidence based practice guidelines and were regularly updated to reflect current practice recommendations. This would eliminate the risk of their practitioner providing an MBS approved service that had been superceded due to new evidence or an updated procedure.

Meniere’s Australia has a new name It is now known as Whirled Foundation Inc. Its office is located at Brockwood House - Suite 4, 424-426 Nepean Highway FRANKSTON VIC 3199. E: info@menieres.org.au P: 1300 368 818 or 03 9783 9233 W: www.menieres.org.au

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Annual General Meeting The Deafness Forum of Australia Annual General Meeting will be held in Sydney on Saturday 28 November. University of NSW, Kensington campus AGSM Building Gate 11, Botany St, Kensington Free off-street car parking Frequent buses depart Central Railway Station for a journey of approximately 25 minutes Light luncheon from 12.30pm Meeting commences 1.30pm and is expected to run for 90 minutes

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