Job Posting – Administrative Assistant

Our Audiology Clinic is an established family owned hearing clinic located in Sarnia, Ont.

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant who is capable of working in a great team
atmosphere as well as independently! This is a 1 year fixed term position.

Job Duties of this position include:

  • Schedule and confirm medical appointments, receive and communicate messages for
    staff and patients
  • Interview patients in order to complete forms, documents and case histories
  • Complete insurance and other claim forms
  • Initiate and maintain confidential medical files and records
  • Order supplies and maintain inventory
  • Determine and establish office procedures and routines
  • Update client information on internal database
  • Assist with the organization and filing of medical reports

Additional Skills:

  • Exceptional client service skills
  • Excellent written, verbal and electronic communication skills
  • Exceptional teamwork skills

Experience Required:

  • Office Administrative Diploma
  • At least One Year of experience in Office Administration.

Salary: To be discussed upon interview.

Please email cover letter and resume to info@schneikeraudiology

or

Drop off Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 4:00pm.

Job Posting will be open from April 4 th 2018 until April 16 th 2018.

My Hearing Was Affected at Work, What do I Do?

According to Statistics Canada, 42% of all Canadians currently work (or have worked) in environments that required them to raise their voice to speak to somebody at an arm’s length away from them.

(For context, that’s roughly the same background noise level as a snow blower. That’s pretty loud – and not good for your ears.)

In these environments, proper hearing protection is a must; noise-induced hearing loss is most commonly caused by overexposure to moderate and loud noises.

However, it’s very common for hearing damage to occur slowly over time, which means that it might take a while for you to notice the effects.

If you’ve noticed any of the following, you might have suffered some degree of noise-induced hearing loss:

  • A constant ringing or buzzing in your ears
  • Sounds seem muffled or not as clear as they used to be
  • You’re noticing that you have difficulty understanding speech, particularly over the phone
  • You have difficulty following conversations if there is background noise (such as music or the TV)
  • You’re avoiding socializing with friends and colleagues
  • You often get confused about what direction sound is coming from.

If you have noticed any of these symptoms, speak to your Audiologist right away.

If you live in Ontario and have suffered a noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) as a result of your workplace environment, here’s what you can do:

The first thing you should do is to arrange an independent, unbiased assessment of your hearing to establish a valid baseline audiogram. (There’s normally a fee of between $50.00 to $150.00 for this, but you can typically claim this expense on your medical benefits or income tax.)

Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) officially recognizes noise induced hearing loss as an occupational disease that can be compensated for by the WSIB.

As defined in the WSIB, NIHL is defined as a “permanent bilateral hearing loss resulting from being exposed to high levels of noise for a long time.” Basically, if you have worked in industry full time for five years, and your average pure tone average threshold exceeds 22.5 dB, you may qualify for compensation.

The NIHL program via WSIB is meant to assist workers in receiving the services and equipment that they require to address hearing loss and improve long-term quality of life.

(Before starting a WSIB claim, be ready to describe the symptoms and when you first became aware of the problem. It also helps if you can provide detailed information about your employment including dates and any relevant documents, as well as the names and addresses of any audiologists you have seen regarding your hearing loss. A WSIB decision on an NIHL claim can vary depending on how long it takes to assemble and evaluate workplace exposure information, medical reports, and hearing test results, so it helps to give them everything they need quickly.)

If you’ve been affected by NIHL because of your occupation, then we advise that you get in contact with Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW).

OHCOW can act as a liaison between the you and WSIB (Workplace Safety & Insurance Board) to make the process easier as you attempt to obtain a NIHL claim.

They’ll also help you arrange to get a calculated formula of your actual pure tone average thresholds (a behavioural test used to measure hearing sensitivity). Any knowledgeable audiologist can calculate this for you.

At Schneiker, we believe that seeking assistance when you’re making a WSIB claim for hearing loss is the quickest (and easiest) way of getting the entitlement you are owed.

If you’d like to find out more about OHCOW and how they can help with NIHL claims, here’s an in-depth PDF on hearing loss, the workplace and WSIB claims.

The Four Levels of Hearing Loss

Have you ever wished that people would just stop mumbling, that someone would fix this awful phone you’re using and, by the way – no, the TV is not too loud? Any and all of the above complaints could be normal everyday frustrations. Or they could be signs of gradual hearing loss.

The fact is: hearing loss is rarely sudden. Most often it follows a gradual progression that can be diagnosed and perhaps even halted. The first step, of course, is knowing what the four levels are and what symptoms are associated with each:

Mild

Mild hearing loss is often difficult for us to see in ourselves. One-on-one conversation is usually fine, leading many to believe their hearing is also fine. Background noise or group and telephone conversations, however, make it difficult to catch every word. The voices of women and children may be the most difficult to perceive.

Moderate

Moderate hearing loss is characterized by the frequent need to ask people to repeat words and difficulty keeping up with normal conversation. This may cause frustration or misunderstandings on both sides. The use of hearing aids will alleviate the majority of these symptoms.

Severe

Overcoming severe hearing loss will require the use of hearing aids, as conversation becomes impractical or even impossible without assistance. Some lip reading or even sign language may be employed to further assist.

Profound

Those with profound hearing loss must rely on lipreading and sign language, in conjunction with the use of properly fit hearing and assistive listening devices they may hear only very loud sounds or no sound at all.

Regardless of what level of hearing loss you may find yourself in, protecting your ears is of vital importance. Simple measures like turning down the volume on your music or wearing protective equipment will help, but at Schneiker Audiology Services we understand that everyone’s situation, including yours, is unique. That’s why we’d love to have you come in to discuss your personal circumstances and how we can improve your specific situation.

Book a hearing test today, and discover how our family style service can make a difference in your life.

Have you heard what’s new?

At Schneiker Audiology we’re committed to caring for each and every one of our patients like the family we truly consider them to be. That commitment involves making sure we stay up to date with the best equipment technology has to offer, and then bringing that home to you.

A great example of how technology can improve your quality of life is the Widex line of hearing aids. The Super series has built in FM receivers optimized for use in classrooms and lecture halls. The Clear series offers natural sound in both ears that adjusts automatically to your listening environment. Finally, the Dream series is your solution for the most challenging listening situations: parties, meetings, and conversations in public areas. We love this technology because it allows us to match you up with the device that will make the greatest impact in your life.

When you combine your Widex hearing aids with complementary devices like the Widex Phone-Dex you get added benefits like making traditionally hard to hear phone conversations easy. The phone streams audio directly into both ears so you can listen in crisp stereo quality. The Phone Dex also looks and functions like a regular phone, so the rest of your friends and family can use it without requiring a separate piece of hardware. Imagine not straining to hear your loved ones through an old fashioned phone speaker.

This is just one example. The field of audiology is constantly evolving. As better solutions to hearing loss emerge, we take pride in staying on top of them so you don’t have to. Relax, enjoy your life, and rest assured that we are taking care of you like one of our own with the best our industry has to offer.

Simple and easy: old world service meets new world technology at Schneiker Audiology. Drop by to learn how our cutting edge products can improve your life.

The Huge Success of Sarnia & District Humane Society’s 13th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

FullSizeRender7What an overwhelming success! With the help of participants and the surrounding community the tournament was able to raise almost $10,000. This will be a great help to the Sarnia & District Humane Society which will continue to provide vital services to the animals in our community.

 

 

 

 

A big THANK YOU to all those who helped and came out to support such an amazing cause! 

 

A Look Inside Our Demo Room

Have you ever tried to describe a particularly amazing sunset to someone who wasn’t there, or maybe the taste and texture of the most delicious slice of cheesecake you’ve ever had? You can do it, maybe even well enough to inspire jealousy, but the description is nothing like experience itself.

We have already highlighted some of the incredible technology that we are able to offer our patients and how useful these devices can be in your day to day life. We also know that, much like a slice of cheesecake, trying it out for yourself is the best possible scenario. To that end, we’ve set up a demo room where you can preview your device of choice and learn how to install it in your own home.

Every TV device or accessory offered on our website is connected to a flat screen TV and ready to try. Our amplified phones are connected to outside lines so you can try them out on a real phone call with your own friends or family. We do this because we know nothing compares to a little hands on experience to make sure you are going home with confidence.

Of course, being in our demo room means we get to see the look on your face when you realize how much this will improve your quality of life, and we never get tired of it. Please come in and experience for yourself what Schneiker Audiology can do.

A Super Story: Being Your Child’s Role Model

A good role model – someone you can identify with and look up to – can be a powerful influence in anyone’s life. Finding a role model as an adult might be a bit more difficult, but for kids, inspiration can come from many different places.

That’s exactly what happened for Anthony Smith, a four year old boy who decided he didn’t want to wear his hearing aid anymore because that just wasn’t something that superheroes did. To make sure, his mom emailed Marvel. The response was a picture of Hawkeye, a superhero with hearing loss, and Blue Ear, a specially created superhero whose hearing aid looks just like Anthony’s. You can read the full story here, but the end result is a young boy who’s proud to wear his hearing aid and tell all his friends about Blue Ear.

As touching as this story is, it’s also a good illustration of how a parent or even an audiologist can change a child’s perception of his hearing loss. Hearing aids especially don’t need to be those boring, ugly, beige set ups that adults prefer. They can be colorful, fun, and most importantly, useful.

Superheroes, princesses, athletes, anyone really, can be a role model. None are more important, however, than a young boy or girl’s parents. Here are some other things you can do to help change the perception of your child’s hearing aids:

  • Always have a positive attitude. Sometimes the hearing aids will be a pain. They can (will) get lost, and need cleaning, maintenance, and batteries. Try not to show any frustration you may feel when dealing with the hearing aids, as your child will pick up on it.
  • Divert Attention. Kids tend to want to play with things and may have trouble avoiding the urge to consider their hearing aid a toy. If it feels uncomfortable, few children will be able to resist pulling it off. So especially while they are getting used to a new earpiece, keep their hands and minds occupied on other things.
  • Talk Incessantly. If you are talking to your children they will naturally want to hear you. When they learn they can hear you when their earpiece is in, they’ll want to wear it. It’s a simple, effective way to demonstrate the usefulness of the new device.

We love working with our young patients, and our old fashioned service extends to children three years of age and older. Parents learning to deal with their child’s hearing impairment don’t need to feel overwhelmed. You can find a role model of your own at Schneiker Audiology.

Preventable Hearing Loss: Give Your Ears a Break

Sarnia is a community of hardworking people who know the value of a good day’s work and some well-earned R&R. With that in mind, we wanted to take a few moments for a word of caution: our minds and muscles are not the only parts of us that need a break now and then. Your ears get stressed out too, and just like the rest of you, they need a chance to rest and recover.

Noise induced hearing loss is the only truly preventable form. Especially in our area of heavy industry, we might be tempted to think that noise induced hearing loss is strictly a workplace problem, and of course, we should all be concerned with safety on the job. Following safety guidelines and always wearing our PPE will mitigate much of the potential for traumatic hearing loss.

However, the workplace is not the only area where potentially damaging noise levels exist. Any noises above 85 decibels will cause damage if the exposure is long enough. Some examples of common noises that exceed 85 decibels are heavy traffic, loud music (either with headphones or in the confined space of a car), movies, passing motorcycles, and power tools. Since many of our hobbies may include some of these sources of noise, we need to be careful about our ears during leisure time as well.

The key here is remembering that it is not simply the volume of the noise that counts, but also the frequency and duration of the noise. For example, let’s say you come home from an eight hour work day in which proper care limited your noise exposure to the legal limit of 8 hours at 85 decibels. Then, you turn up some music or blow off steam in the workshop. It’s a great way to relax, but adding extra time to your noise exposure can start damaging your hearing. What’s the takeaway? Give your ears a rest.

We all need to take breaks from the busy, often chaotic, lives we lead. Your ears are no different. So even in your personal activities, pay attention to the noise you are exposing yourself to and consider giving your ears the break they need.

New Product: Widex Unique

We’ve got the new Widex Unique hearing aids in stock and we’d love to give you a tour of them. Come in and see us today to find out more!

Thank you Veteran’s

On this special day we’d like to say thank you to all of our family, friends and patients who served our country.

vet

A World of Difference

Skill is something easy to admire. We appreciate a virtuoso performance simply because it is great to see talent in action. At the same time, we often can’t help but root for the underdog because there’s just something about the spirit that drives someone to perform against the odds. Combine the two though – skill and heart – and you end up with something amazing. Of course, we may not be virtuosos or underdogs, but it is that heart and passion for what we do that sets us apart from more typical audiology services.

We are driven by a belief that what we do can and does bring real and lasting benefits to the lives of our patients. For example, our Doctor of Audiology Kathleen Schneiker, has this to say about her chosen career:

“I became interested in the industry mainly because of my grandmother. She suffered from Meniere’s disease and wore hearing aids, unsuccessfully, for decades until I attained my Master’s Degree in Audiology and fit her with appropriate technology that worked for her. Everyone in my family wears hearing aids and I am so excited to improve their quality of life.”

At the same time we struggle with the reality that these devices, which can have such a positive impact, still carry a stigma that prevents many from getting the help they need. It is important to us that we educate people about what kind of services and technology now exist that can make all the difference in the world to their well-being. Quality hearing healthcare exists and we want everyone to know it and experience it.

That’s the difference for us and our staff: the passion that drives our efforts to offer the best care possible. It’s the world of difference we make in the lives of our loved ones – our family and our patients, that connects us to our work in the most meaningful way. We have every confidence that we can make that same difference for you. Check out our services to find out how.

The Dangers of Waiting

Bobby Baun is a legendary Toronto Maple Leaf’s defenseman, famous for scoring a Stanley Cup winning goal from a broken ankle. He’s now a spokesman for the importance of getting your hearing checked early, and admits to once being in denial about his own hearing loss.

“You don’t realize how much you become uncommunicative and how you think people are putting the blame on you for different things, so you lose your self-esteem.”

Like Bobby, we know the dangers of waiting to assess or correct your hearing loss may go even deeper than communication problems. Consider five potential risks for waiting:

  1. Personal Relationships. Much like Bobby mentioned above, your loved ones may find it difficult to communicate effectively with you and vice versa. This can lead to social withdrawal and tensions within existing relationships.
  2. Performance at Work. Like in your personal relationships, communication may become more difficult at work, resulting in social alienation and decreased opportunities for advancement.
  3. Auditory Deprivation. Just as with anything in the body, if your hearing is not used or exercised, it begins to atrophy. Auditory deprivation may cause hearing conditions to steadily worsen if left untreated.
  4. Depression. Along with the social issues mentioned above, both at home and in the workplace, comes depression. As we pull away from our support systems a correlation exists between hearing loss and depression among all age groups.
  5. Links to Dementia. We have previously mentioned the John Hopkins study that links hearing loss to dementia. Whether caused by added strain on cognitive function or by the ensuing social isolation, restoring lost hearing is the best kind of prevention.

Communication is so important, not just in our own lives but to our loves ones, our coworkers, and indeed, our own bodies. Without a doubt, at Schneiker Audiology, we understand your hesitation to confirm suspected hearing loss. We even understand that you may not want to think about treatment options that you feel will invade your life and privacy. The thing is – we also understand what an incredible difference we can make in your life.

Bobby Baun would agree: don’t delay. Contact us now to get started.