Dear Friend of Avalon,
To mask or not to mask…that is the question?
On June 12th, Sacramento County moved into Stage 3 of the state’s Resilience Roadmap. Businesses that can open (bars, wineries, gyms, museums, galleries, movie theaters) must use face coverings for staff when six feet of social distancing is not possible. I am both excited and scared about this move. I imagine you are, too.
The best defense against COVID-19 continues to be:
- Stay at home and physical distance
- Wear a face-covering whenever possible
- Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
Wearing masks continues to be an important part of being a conscientious, caring and committed member of our community.
The highest rate of COVID-19 cases is in the age groups of 18-34 and 35-49
I remember feeling invincible at this age. Last week, when I was grocery shopping, I noticed more younger people were not wearing masks. Immediately, I found myself judging them. Didn’t they know that they represented 54% of all cases in California? Didn’t they realize that they could pass the virus on to others who are more vulnerable? I felt irritated and wanted to make them bad and wrong. Luckily, I caught myself because I am committed to putting more love and less fear into our world. Instead, I held the thought of safety and health for those people. Since I was wearing my mask, I tried to smile with my eyes and looked into their eyes. I wanted them to know that I see them and that what they choose matters for our society.
I wear my mask while in public for 3 reasons:
Thank you to Dr. Anne Zink who posted the three reasons for wearing a mask on Facebook! I thought it was worth passing onto you. Maybe, you could pass it on to someone who might benefit from reading it.
- HUMILITY: I don’t know if I have COVID as it is clear that people can spread the virus before they have symptoms.
- KINDNESS: I don’t know if the person I am near has a kid battling cancer, or cares for their elderly Mom. While I might be fine, they might not.
- COMMUNITY: I want my community to thrive, businesses to stay open, employees to stay healthy. Keeping a lid on COVID helps us all.
A picture is worth a 1000 words
A sound is worth a 1000 pictures; Hearing loss, hearing aids and masks
I saw a cute sign at the Midas Muffler in Carmichael. It stated,
“There is a new language evolving. It’s called MUFFLED!”
Wearing a mask can reduce high-frequency speech sounds up to 15dB. That’s a lot. When you already have a hearing loss, it becomes more challenging to understand people when they talk through a mask. So here are 8 tips to share:
- Speak a little slower – you’ll enunciate your words better
- Reduce background noise – you’ll have less distractions
- Don’t shout or exaggerate words – this makes understanding worse
- Rephrase what you said instead of repeating it over and over again
- Get your attention first – then, start talking
- If you have hearing loss, wear your hearing instruments
- Get your hearing aids fine-tuned for the new language called MUFFLED!
- If your hearing is getting worse, get your hearing tested in the safety of Avalon
Be mindful of your hearing instruments when removing your mask.
Several of our clients have lost hearing aids in parking lots, grocery stores or medical offices. One client used his “Find my hearing aids” feature on his Thrive App in his iPhone, followed it and found both of his iPhone compatible hearing aids, undamaged, under a truck in the Home Depot parking lot. What a world we live in!
In the meantime, stay informed, diligent, and healthy.
Take one day at a time, and remember, you are part of the Avalon Family!
We got you covered.
We protect you.
You protect us.
Yours for CONNECTED Hearing & Living,
Betty Vosters-Kemp, BC-HIS
Owner, Avalon Hearing Aid Centers, Inc.
Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist
P.S. The official mascot of 2020
I love this picture and message. But there is a mistake in this graphic. See if you can find it and then, email me your answer! I’ll send you a little gift if you get the answer!
I look forward to hearing from you!
