Premier Hearing Center Volunteers with LifeCare Hospice
Picture Left to Right: Craig Rowland, Owner of PHC, Beki McCurdy of LifeCare Hospice, and Karen Rowland, CFO of Premier Hearing Center
An amazing idea began to take shape this year. Craig Rowland, owner of Premier Hearing Center, and fellow Lions Club member and Veteran, Ray Beck, recently traveled to Washington D.C. on the Veterans Honor Trip. Ray talked with Craig about the work he was doing with Veterans in Hospice Care, sparking a deep desire in Craig to help as well. Craig reached out to Beki McCurdy, Volunteer Coordinator for LifeCare Hospice, and the two began to discuss how he could help Hospice patients. While the patients overall health and comfort is the main focus during this time, communicating with the ones they love is also a top priority. Those with hearing loss can be negatively impacted at the end of their lives. Perceived dementia often happens with elderly patients whose families may not realize they simply can’t hear them. In some cases, the dementia may have already been diagnosed, but when the patient is tested and fit with hearing aids, they are able to hear, understand and respond to what is going on around them. Hearing loss often goes undiagnosed and untreated, leaving many seniors and end of life patients with no way to connect with their loved ones. The overall cost may weigh heavily on families who are considering their options to help their loved one. This is where Premier Hearing Center can step in to help. Craig and his wife Karen are currently in the Hospice Volunteer Training Program, to learn how to understand, work with, and help patients and their families. The care that Premier Hearing Center will be providing will be completely on a volunteer basis. All time and materials will be donated. Premier Hearing Center and Signia/ Siemens Corp. will both be donating the hearing aids. “This is exactly what we want, to attract volunteers who care and who are prepared. Our dream is to have Craig and Karen there at this very important moment in a person’s life: said McCurdy. “They will be prepared for all the emotional aspects and be able to help families with end of life care. Hospice comes along side families who are walking with a loved one at the most poignant, and often the most challenging time in their life. Being able to communicate and hear what family members and doctors are saying about their care not only relates to their quality of life, but to overall peacefulness for the family.” “Doing this will impact me,” said Craig. “There’s no doubt about that, but to be able to help people hear and allow their family members to tell them they love them is so important.”