Each Tuesday, The
Citizen features a health professional from the
Finger Lakes community
in The Banks:
This week, we spotlight David DeFrancis.
David DeFrancis
Age: 44
Occupation: Director of
outreach and education, AURORA of CNY, Inc.
Q: Aurora CNY (an area non-profit organization specializing in serving clients with hearing and vision loss) is sponsoring the hearing loss panel Oct. 29 in Syracuse. Why is it important to hold a public panel on the subject?
A: Hearing loss is the third-most common condition in the United States, and one in three seniors has some level of hearing loss. So we have these community forums so that they don't necessarily have to go make an appointment or pay for a visit. They can ask questions here. They are gong to cover all kinds of different issues. We will have all different devices set up for them to see and hear. New technology is coming out every day.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: What gives me most pleasure is my first contact with clients. It is usually at the point of desperation. And then we go through the different resources that are available. Most seniors, their door is cracked open when they are expecting someone, and that scares me. And all this stuff is affordable. When I know they are safe and we provided something to keep them safe and keep them in their home, and they can do things like make their own phone calls, it makes me happy.
Q: What is the most challenging?
A: Hearing loss is growing so quickly, and there is such a need for more funding for this. The funding is not there, and I would like to reach out to more people. There are so many more people who need the help, and when you are 80 or 90 years old, you need it now.
Q: What are the most common causes of hearing loss?
A: Exposure to workplace noise, firearms and loud music. There are certain groups who are more prone. Men are more likely than women to experience it, and the Caucasian population is twice as prone to hearing loss than the African American population.
Q: What's the most common misconception you hear from people about hearing loss?
A: They think they are indestructible. The big myth is that it will never happen to them. Sometimes it is a temporary loss, but the majority of times you get the damage. Another is that a hearing loss is not a disability. With hearing loss, people often think “Oh, he is just ignoring me or he is just not paying attention.”
Q: So far, what is the most exciting advancement in the field?
A: Cochlear implants. It is a very expensive option, but another option where they implant a filament wire into the cochlea. It can a dangerous operation and an invasive one. There's also the new technology with hearing aids. The digital hearing aids that can filter out background noise, and they are directional now.
The Oct. 29 panel takes place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Rosamond Gifford Room, 518 James St., Syracuse. Call 422-7263 or visit www.auroraofcny.org for more information.
Finger Lakes community
in The Banks:
This week, we spotlight David DeFrancis.
David DeFrancis
Age: 44
Occupation: Director of
outreach and education, AURORA of CNY, Inc.
Q: Aurora CNY (an area non-profit organization specializing in serving clients with hearing and vision loss) is sponsoring the hearing loss panel Oct. 29 in Syracuse. Why is it important to hold a public panel on the subject?
A: Hearing loss is the third-most common condition in the United States, and one in three seniors has some level of hearing loss. So we have these community forums so that they don't necessarily have to go make an appointment or pay for a visit. They can ask questions here. They are gong to cover all kinds of different issues. We will have all different devices set up for them to see and hear. New technology is coming out every day.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: What gives me most pleasure is my first contact with clients. It is usually at the point of desperation. And then we go through the different resources that are available. Most seniors, their door is cracked open when they are expecting someone, and that scares me. And all this stuff is affordable. When I know they are safe and we provided something to keep them safe and keep them in their home, and they can do things like make their own phone calls, it makes me happy.
Q: What is the most challenging?
A: Hearing loss is growing so quickly, and there is such a need for more funding for this. The funding is not there, and I would like to reach out to more people. There are so many more people who need the help, and when you are 80 or 90 years old, you need it now.
Q: What are the most common causes of hearing loss?
A: Exposure to workplace noise, firearms and loud music. There are certain groups who are more prone. Men are more likely than women to experience it, and the Caucasian population is twice as prone to hearing loss than the African American population.
Q: What's the most common misconception you hear from people about hearing loss?
A: They think they are indestructible. The big myth is that it will never happen to them. Sometimes it is a temporary loss, but the majority of times you get the damage. Another is that a hearing loss is not a disability. With hearing loss, people often think “Oh, he is just ignoring me or he is just not paying attention.”
Q: So far, what is the most exciting advancement in the field?
A: Cochlear implants. It is a very expensive option, but another option where they implant a filament wire into the cochlea. It can a dangerous operation and an invasive one. There's also the new technology with hearing aids. The digital hearing aids that can filter out background noise, and they are directional now.
The Oct. 29 panel takes place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Rosamond Gifford Room, 518 James St., Syracuse. Call 422-7263 or visit www.auroraofcny.org for more information.
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