Every day, our hearing plays a crucial role in keeping us social, safe, and healthy. Now more than ever, there are increasing numbers of Canadians suffering from hearing loss. When this happens, many of the simple things in life can be affected. Hearing loss can make it difficult to hear the ring of your alarm clock in the morning, the sound of your grandchild’s laughter, or even cars whizzing by on a busy street.

In response to local customer demand, HearingLife, Canada’s leading local hearing care provider, has opened its Saskatoon clinic at Suite 215, Unit 150, Joseph Okemasis Drive. The clinic provides access to the most advanced hearing aid technology, caring clinical support, and the newest diagnostic equipment. The new HearingLife Saskatoon team can help with obligation-free hearing tests (no physician referral needed) with an appointment booked online at hearinglife.ca or via phone at 1-855-785-3616.

As part of the Saskatoon clinic grand opening, the HearingLife team is currently accepting nominations for a local resident in need to receive free hearing aids through the National Campaign for Better Hearing. Each hearing test booked at the newly opened clinic helps fund even more free hearing aid donations as part of the campaign.

“We’re meeting a great need in the local Saskatoon community for convenient, safe access to highquality hearing health care,” says Kaelyn Ferguson, HearingLife Saskatoon audiologist. “We’re excited about expanding in Saskatoon and thrilled to have the opportunity to gift a local community member in need with free hearing aids as part of our Campaign for Better Hearing.”

The National Campaign for Better Hearing educates the public about the effects of untreated hearing loss and the importance of making hearing tests part of the annual health regimen for people over the age of 60. The campaign challenges all Canadians to “Test Your Ears at 60 Years.” Since 2015, more than $1.6 million has been allocated by HearingLife to support the distribution of hundreds of free hearing aids to Canadians nationwide who cannot afford them.

In 2020, 200 hearing aids were donated. HearingLife clinics conducted an impressive 64,423 free hearing tests, resulting in a $4 allocation per test to the lifechanging campaign. Local clinicians nominate community members to receive the free hearing aids.

“People tend to try to adapt to their hearing loss,” says Jillian Price, chief audiologist at HearingLife Canada. “They don’t realize that feeling tired and irritable after long conversations, difficulty hearing amidst background noise, or the need to turn up the sound on your TV or car radio are all signs of hearing loss. So, if you or your loved one is experiencing these hearing loss signs, we encourage you to book a hearing test with us.”

The HearingLife team reminds Saskatoon community members of the four signs of hearing loss:

• Complaints of mumbling – you can hear but not understand everything

• Complaints that the TV is too loud or you can’t hear

• Difficulty hearing with background noise

• Withdrawal from social situations because you “can’t keep up”

Ways to assist those with hearing impairment include:

• Facing the person when speaking

• Talking slower and moving closer

• Getting the person’s attention before speaking

• Positioning your back to other noises/distractions

• Recommending a hearing test or hearing aid adjustment

For more information or to book your free hearing test, contact the new Saskatoon HearingLife clinic on Joseph Okemasis Drive or any of HearingLife’s locations nationwide.