PORT TOWNSEND — With the dissolution of the Port Townsend Lions Club, an independent business has taken on the task of recycling hearing devices for use by people who cannot afford them.
“The Lions traditionally helps people with medical devices, but they disbanded,” said Marlorraine “Mars” Riddle, a hearing assistant at Peninsula Hearing, 1308 W. Sims Way.
“As a result, there was nowhere in Jefferson County for people who needed this kind of help, so we stepped into that void.”
The Lions Club, known for its distribution of used eyeglasses and hearing devices, disbanded in 2013 when it could not maintain a vital membership, according to club member Martin Vetere.
Peninsula Hearing began its recycling program about 18 months ago. It solicits donations of used devices and repurposes them for people who are on or below the poverty level and cannot afford the full price.
When a used device is contributed, the office matches it to a qualified client and the device is sent to the manufacturer for customization, which usually involves removing the processing unit and setting it into a specially shaped ear piece.
Peninsula Hearing donates its time and resources, although the client must pay the repurposing fee, which ranges between $100 and $500, Riddle said.
This amount can still exceed the client’s resources, so Peninsula Hearing has established a donation program wherein anyone can visit the office and make a contribution to the cause.
During the holiday season, contributors’ names and the amount are written on a paper snowflake and hung on a Christmas tree in the window.
The retail price of hearing devices ranges from about $800 to about $6,400, Riddle said.
“We don’t like calling them hearing aids because they are more than that,” she said.
“They are not ‘aids’; they are computer processors that analyze your environment and determine what you need to be hearing at what levels.”
Riddle said there has been an increase in hearing loss in baby boomers who listened to loud rock music in their youth and predicts this situation will get worse with the new generation.
“With electronic dance music, there are key frequencies that were not in music 20 years ago,” she said.
“Those frequencies are the same as where you hear speech, so if you are damaging your hearing at those levels, you won’t be able to hear speech at all when you get older.”
Earbuds also pose a hearing danger, as they place the sound directly near the eardrums at unsafe levels, Riddle said.
Peninsula Hearing has locations in Port Townsend and Poulsbo, and is owned and operated by Dr. Megan Nightingale.
The office provides free annual hearing tests to Jefferson County residents that determine the level of hearing loss.
“In the same way you get your eyes and teeth checked every year, you need to check your hearing,” Riddle said.
“It should be part of your regular health program.”
For more information, call 360-379-5458.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
