| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE With only a few weeks left until Spring, let’s review some of the things that have gone on since our last newsletter: HLAA Westchester 40th Anniversary Celebration New site announced for 2024 Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing HLAA Westchester awards third Hearing Aid Grant to local teen Registration is now open for the 2024 HLAA National Convention Schedule of upcoming meetings & activities We are looking for some good people to serve on the HLAA Westchester Board HLAA Westchester is always looking for a few good people to serve on our Board of Directors and help determine the future of the chapter. We have both officer and non-officer Board positions. Most positions require very little time commitment, yet give back a tremendous amount of satisfaction. If you are interested, please contact Debbie Dolgin Wolfe at deborahdwolfe@gmail.com  In Memory: Phil Monteleone HLAA Westchester was saddened to learn of the passing of Phil Monteleone in December after a long illness. He was 79 years old. Phil was a long-time member of the chapter and our chapter treasurer for many years. All of us have fond memories of Phil at chapter meetings, conventions, picnics, dinners, the Walk4Hearing and other chapter events, and we will remember his infectious laugh and happy personality. HLAA Westchester Celebrates its 40th Anniversary   On Saturday, November 18, HLAA Westchester celebrated 40 years as a chapter with a grand celebration at LaBotte Ristorante in White Plains. About 40 guests enjoyed a fabulous meal, great company, special presentations, a fabulous anniversary cake, a slide show covering the last forty years, and a special video tribute by HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelly. Many past presidents of HLAA Westchester were in attendance (see photo of special candle lighting), as well as members and guests both young and old. A special thanks to the 40th Anniversary planning committee of Melanie Brand-Carmen, Roy Carmen, Simone Dempsey, Tom Mercantante, Roberta Seidner, Carolyn Tanen, Mary Grace Whalen, Debbie Dolgin Wolfe, Robert Wolfe and Steve Wolfert. New Site for 2024 Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing on MAY 19, 2024 After many years at FDR State Park in Yorktown Heights, the annual Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing is moving “south” to picturesque Harbor Island Park & Marina in Mamaroneck, NY. Surrounded by beautiful Long Island Sound, stunning waterfront homes and boats, and lined with cherry trees that should be in full blossom in mid-May, the 18th Annual Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing will take place on Sunday, May 19. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. and presentations and the 5k (3.1) mile walk will take place beginning at 12:00 noon. We’ll have a pizza truck with free pizza, hot dogs on the grill, children’s activities including a large kid’s playground, raffle prizes and much, much more. Harbor Island Park is “dog friendly” so please bring your pooches as we will have a contest for best looking and best dressed dog (sorry, humans can’t dress as a dog to win a prize!) Afterwards, explore the quaint Village of Mamaroneck, known as “The Friendly Village” with its many interesting shops and restaurants, and home to famous Walter’s Hot Dogs, the Emelin Theater and Good Shepherd Distillery.Harbor Island Park & Marina is easy to get to from all points north, south, east and west via I-287, I-95, Hutchinson River Parkway, and local roads from White Plains, Scarsdale, Larchmont, Rye and Harrison.  |
| Third Child Receives HLAA Westchester Hearing Aid Grant |
On February 5, sixteen-year-old Nyack resident Bryce Delva received a new pair of Phonak digital hearing aids paid for by HLAA Westchester and provided through the Olive Osmond Hearing Foundation. The Lauren King – HLAA Westchester Hearing Aid Grant Program for children was started by past chapter scholarship winner and volunteer Lauren King and has now paid for hearing aids for three children who could not otherwise have afforded them. HLAA Westchester President Steve Wolfert and Treasurer Melanie Brand-Carmen had the pleasure of joining Bryce, his mother Tanya and his twin sister as he received his hearing aids from Dr. Eastman at Northwell HealthHearing & Speech Center inNew Hyde Park. |
 A brand-new Walk4Hearing websiteNow up and running at www.walk4hearing.org to register your teams, register Alliance Group teams (not-for-profit teams that benefit hearing loss and will share in the money raised), to join as walkers, as well as to accept tax-deductible contributions. Don’t forget to designate your funds to go to the Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing so they will go directly to benefit our chapter. |
| 2024 HLAA National Convention |
 Early-bird registration is now open for the 2024 HLAA National Convention, taking place June 26-29 at the luxurious Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. This is the first time a HLAA Convention has been held at a resort-style venue rather than a downtown city hotel. Discounted registration rates are now available through March 31 on the HLAA national website, www.hearingloss.org.Among the attractions at this year’s convention:Hear engaging keynote speaker Shanna Adamic, Executive Director at leading technology company Oracle, speak at the General Session Explore The Emotional Side of Hearing Loss at the Research SymposiumCelebrate and connect at the lavish Welcome Back Bash and HLAA Awards ceremonyLearn about a wide range of topics at the numerous Educational Workshops See Product Demonstrations of the latest technology for people with hearing loss. Walk through the Exhibit Hall featuring cutting-edge tech and hearing health industry professionals (including teams from the leading cochlear implant and hearing aid manufacturers and assistive listening device companies) Meet and unite with your many HLAA friends and acquaintances from around the country and learn about their experiences on their hearing journeyWatch for more details about the HLAA Convention and register at www.hearingloss.org Once again, HLAA Westchester will be awarding a grant to first-time attendees at the national convention to cover a large part of your expenses. If you are interested, please contact Steve Wolfert at stevewolfert98@gmail.com. |
| Blair & Anita Mazin College Scholarships HLAA Westchester will again be awarding up to three $1,000 scholarships in 2024 for graduating high school students who intend to go to college or vocational school. The awards will be presented at the HLAA Westchester annual meeting and elections in June. To date, our chapter has awarded forty scholarships. Scholarship committee chairs Melanie Brand-Carmen and Donald Gottfried are finalizing the 2024 scholarship application form, which will be emailed to all chapter members and others on our email list. If you have any questions before then, or would like to recommend a potential recipient, please email hlaawestchester@gmail.com |
| Upcoming Chapter Meetings & Events Thursday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. – General Chapter Meeting via Zoom. Guest Speaker: Evan Latainer, Director of the Westchester County Office for People with Disabilities. Evan will talk about topics including Westchester County Paratransit, court interpreters, Medicaid and other medical services, Veterans benefits, housing assistance, and more. Saturday, April 13 at 12:30 p.m. – HLAA Westchester Bowling Party at the Montvale Lanes, Montvale, NJ. with associated optional lunch gathering at Miller’s Ale House, Paramus, NJ immediately following.Please RSVP to Melanie Brand-Carmen at hlaawestchester@gmail.com. Sunday, May 19 – 18th annual Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing. NEW LOCATION: Harbor Island Park & Marina, Mamaroneck, NY. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. Walk presentations and the walk begin at 12:00 p.m. For more information go to www.walk4hearing.org and select the“Westchester/Rockland Walk.”Watch for upcoming information about other in-person chapter meetings, our annual summer picnic, an outing at the ballpark, etc. Did You Know? Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY – which offers cochlear implant surgery, hearing testing and rehabilitation, and help for people with balance issues – offers a Financial Assistance/Charity Care Program for those with limited incomes. All medically necessary services, including preventative care, are covered under the financial assistance program. This includes outpatient services, inpatient care, and emergency services(please note that charges from private doctors who provide certain services in the hospital may not be covered under the program). Find out more about financial assistance at Westchester Medical Center by calling 914-493-7830. “Hearing Loops,” similar to the system used at HLAA Westchester Chapter meetings that send clear sound directly to hearing aids and cochlear implants without background noise or interference, are already installed in many major venues in the Bronx, Westchester and Rockland County: Bronx – Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, NY Public Library,Serviam Towers Theater, Yankee Stadium Mount Vernon – Wartburg Nyack – Elmwood Playhouse Pleasantville – Jacob Burns Film Center (all theaters) Tarrytown – Temple Beth Abraham Valhalla – Westchester Community College – Academic Arts Building Auditorium The Olive Osmond Hearing Fund New York Chapter offers two $250 scholarships for high school graduating seniors (contact Debbie Meyfohrt of the Fund at dmeyfohrt@hearingfund.org for more information and an application;the deadline for submissions is May 1, 2024). Justin Osmond “Hear-O” Scholarship – for a graduating senior who is deaf, hard of hearing, or is living with a family member that is hard of hearing. Olive May Osmond Memorial Scholarship – for a graduating senior who will be continuing their education at a college or vocational education program in a field related to hearing loss (Audiology, Teacher of the Deaf, Speech & Language Pathology, Sign Language Interpreter, among others) In the News Link Found Between Tylenol, Advil and Hearing Loss According to Consumer Reports, several studies have found that people who use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) at least twice a week are up to 24% more likely to develop hearing loss than people who take them less frequently. Continued use of these meds at a high dose can result in permanent hearing loss or tinnitus. If you take these pain relievers regularly, ask your doctor about other options. Can Hearing Aids Reduce the Risk of Dementia? A study published in The Lancet Public Health Journal and reported in The Hearing Review and Barron’s magazine found that individuals with untreated hearing loss may face an increased risk of dementia compared to those without hearing loss. The authors suggest that using a hearing aid could potentially lower this risk to a level similar to that of individuals without hearing loss. Another study found that individuals with untreated hearing loss had a 42% higher risk of all-cause dementia compared to those with normal hearing. Other major benefits in preventing mental decline and dementia come from staying socially connected and keeping your mind busy, scientists have found. Hearing Loss Can Lead to Deadly Falls, But Hearing Aids May Cut the Risk According to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, older adults with mild hearing loss are at a greater risk – more than double – of falling compared to those without hearing loss. Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older. New evidence shows that restoring hearing through the use of hearing aids may be protective against falls, especially when people wear them consistently. |
| That’s all for now. Thank you for your continued interest in HLAA Westchester. If you would like more information about hearing loss, HLAA Westchester, our activities and services, or in becoming a member of the chapter (we even have a free one-year membership for brand new members), please contact us at hlaawestchester@gmail.com. Remember, we can help you “hear what you’ve been missing.” |