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Palm Lutheran Church

Senior Hearing Program

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A significant proportion of seniors with impaired hearing either do not have or do not use a hearing aid.  This is especially serious for hearing-impaired seniors if they can’t understand health care providers or clergy, or participate in family or legal discussions about their care.

A recent Wall Street Journal article estimated that 80% of people with impaired hearing, of all ages, do not use hearing aids.  That corresponds to about 24 million people in the U.S.  The PA Department of Aging estimates that about 20,600 residents of Lebanon are age 65 and over.

The Solution

We provide simple assistive listening devices that can be used by more than one person, to Lebanon County nursing homes, senior centers and churches, and ― on a case-by-case basis ― individuals.  We originally funded this project with grants, monies form a specialized Palm account, and private donations.  We now rely solely upon donations to fund ongoing production of the devices.

Why Is This Program a Success

Simple, low-cost assistive listening devices, that deliver quality audio, are not commercially available.  A few inexpensive units are available online, but they perform poorly and do not provide hearing protection from loud noises.

The Hearing Device

The device is a wired Assistive Listening Device designed to provide voice amplification and minimize background noise, to be simple and very low cost.  It consists of a microphone and amplifier, in a compact case, a matched set of headphones worn by the hearer and a connecting cable.

 The device amplifies ambient sound, especially the higher frequencies detected by the human ear.  Those frequencies are the more difficult to hear for most people with hearing loss.  A limiter circuit is included that automatically lowers the headphone volume when a loud noise is detected, protecting the hearer from excessive volume.  The device is designed to be placed near the person speaking, rather than worn like a hearing aid.  By placing the device and its microphone close to the speaker, the speaker-to-microphone distance is reduced and that improves the signal to background noise ratio.  This device was developed by one of our members, in response to his mother’s deteriorating hearing, her poor experience with hearing aids and the lack of alternatives.

Beyond the Current Project ― Our Dream for the Future

Because the project is so successful, our hope is that it eventually may be extended to other Pennsylvania counties, using other funding sources and involving other churches.  One option would be to obtain funding for a contractor to produce a large number of units which would then be provided at or below cost to churches in other counties that were willing to replicate Palm’s program.  Palm would provide training and other assistance (i.e., literature templates, facility lists) to assure the success of their project. 

 Other project extensions are also being considered that would be a departure from traditional church programs, but could assure financial stability for the program while addressing senior hearing needs in the for-profit sector.

11 West Cherry St. - Palmyra, Pa 17078 - Phone 717-838-3311 - John D. Merkel, Pastor