Free Valley event offers help to low-income patients in need of hearing aids, screenings. Here’s how to sign up
Spanish translators will also be on hand to offer assistance
BY VIVIENNE AGUILAR
vivienne@cvjclocaljournalism.org
University of the Pacific first-year doctor of audiology student Iliana Jaramillo jumped at the opportunity to represent her field and the Spanish-speaking community at this weekend’s hearing screening on the Stockton campus.
The Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club and University of the Pacific’s Hearing and Balance Center will host a free hearing screening event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at 757 Brookside Road. Parking on the campus will be free for the event.
Parents with children as young as 5 are welcome to attend.
“I know how it is,” Jaramillo said, “A lot of Spanish-speaking people don’t like going to the doctor because they worry there won’t be a translator, or that the translator won’t be accurate.”
She was excited to hear Stockton’s event needed a Spanish-speaking audiology student and immediately volunteered because of it.
“I know I’ll be able to help them feel comfortable and show them they’re not alone,” Jaramillo said. “I’m glad this event is targeting the Hispanic community.”
Jaramillo is a UOP student based at the school’s San Francisco campus, along with 13 other graduate volunteers. The community event doubles as a learning experience for them.
Audiology students are required to volunteer during their first and second years in the program to fulfill their screening hours.
As of Thursday afternoon, nearly 200 people registered for the screening, out of the 300 people limit, Audiology Dr. Gail Amornpongchai said.
Limited funding set aside
The Hearing Aid Assistance Program has $20,000 set aside for financial assistance, Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club board member Richard Ross said.
Ross said the club will give out applications during the event to people who are in need of financial help to get hearing aids.
The average cost of a pair of hearing aids can range from $2,000 to $6,000, Amornpongchai said. MediCal can cover the aids, but MediCare doesn’t, she said, adding that most people have to pay out of pocket.
“(The Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club) has some funds set aside for people who find themselves in the situation where their income is too high to qualify for financial assistance in some cases, but still have a need,” Ross said.
Noticing hearing health
Anyone 65 years old and up should regularly schedule checkups for hearing, Amornpongchai said.
Hearing loss is commonly noticed when a loved one points it out. It can negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health.
For children, it can lead to social isolation and decline in cognitive health since they’re less able to absorb new sounds around them, Amornpongchai said.
Loud sounds are not necessarily a bad thing, but the doctor said everyone should wear ear plugs if you know you’ll be doing loud activities like hunting or attending a rock concert.
The most ideal sound level is at 85 decibels, the measurement of loudness, for eight hours. With every five point increase, the time duration should be cut in half.
You can register for the event at https://www.upacifichearing.com/rotary-hearing-screening-event/ or drop in to the center.
Vivienne Aguilar is the health equity reporter for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, a nonprofit newsroom based in Merced, in collaboration with the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF).