Dundalk woman nicknamed 'Nandroid' as hearing restored

Dundalk woman Margaret Byrne, has entered the new age of technology after addressing her decline in hearing after many years of difficulty. 

Margaret, a local Dundalk woman, recently made an appointment with Specsavers Dundalk after receiving a letter from them in May, which reminded her she was overdue a hearing test. Margaret, who had originally been fitted with hearing aids upon her initial appointment four years ago, had since lost one hearing aid and had not replaced the missing aid. 

As family is an important factor in her life, with her five grandsons and two granddaughters, Margaret knew something had to be done in order to keep her day-to-day connection with family. Margaret acted on the reminder and decided to visit the audiology team at Specsavers Dundalk where she was greeted with outstanding customer service and empathy.

A team of experts, led by Audiologist Director, Paula Owens, and Audiology Clinical Assistant Niamh McMahon, were able to perform a series of hearing tests. Margaret commended how Paula and Niamh allowed her to feel comfortable and confident throughout the process.  The results showed that Margaret’s hearing had significantly declined, especially in her left ear where she had not been wearing her hearing aid. 

From there, Margaret was upgraded with new and discrete high-tech hearing aids. Thanks to innovations in modern technology, it is now possible to use hearing aids when streaming media through your phone, tablet, or other Bluetooth device. 

It was the latter feature that has made a huge impact on Margaret’s life as she had been avoiding phone calls due to her hearing difficulty. Through an app in her phone that connects to her hearing aids, Margaret can now hear and conduct phone calls with ease. Her grandson, Conor Rooney, was delighted for this new ease in connectivity with his Granny and has nicknamed her ‘Nandroid’!

Margaret says: ‘My new hearing aids have changed my life completely. For anyone who is suffering with hearing loss, I would urge them not to wait as long as I did and visit their local Specsavers store’. 

Audiologist Director Paula Owens adds: ‘We have noticed such an improvement in Margaret’s overall quality of life, and it is so heart-warming to see such a positive change. We truly live for these moments where we can see such an uplifting shift in a customer’s life after receiving the right care for their hearing difficulties’. 

The Specsavers Dundalk team will continue to support Margaret with a range of aftercare services allowing her to maintain her confidence and joy for life as she continues to cultivate her relationship with her family. 

While there have been huge advancements in the technology used to create hearing aids, there is still stigma surrounding the devices. According to the HSE, 8% of adults have significant hearing loss and need intervention – that is roughly 300,000 adults in Ireland. The stigma surrounding hearing aids is understandable, in the past they were often bulky and uncomfortable, but like other electronics they have dramatically changed - yet many people are not aware of these advancements. With improvements such as noise reduction, direct streaming, simple tap control and rechargeable aids, Specsavers is changing Irish people, like Margaret’s, quality of life. 

Specsavers Ireland Audiology Chairperson Martina McNulty explains:   ‘Gone are the days of worrying about buying or changing batteries for your hearing aids. Advanced hearing aids are built with long-lasting lithium-ion batteries that recharge fully in just a few hours and last all day long – even while streaming. Not only are they better for you, its better for the environment too’. 

Following changes to the PRSI scheme last year, those eligible for the benefit can now avail of a pair of hearing aids up to the value of €1,000 or put their PRSI contribution towards the cost of a more expensive pair of hearing aids at Specsavers. Even with a Medical Card, many will also have PRSI entitlements which would make them eligible for a free pair of hearing aids. 

For more information or to make an appointment at Specsavers Dundalk, please call 042 942 4249 or visit https://www.specsavers.ie/ hearing