January (10.0 MB) - Senior Connector

Page 24 Senior Connector www.seniorconnector.comJanuary 2007Submitted by Carolyn Palagas, Msc, AudcMost hearing aid batteriesare “zinc-air,” which meansthey use the air outside thebattery as a source of power.These batteries are muchmore efficient than the mercuryand silver systems ofyears past.A zinc air battery willlways have a coloured tab,which seals the air holesn the battery and ensuresreshness until you are readyo use the battery. Neveremove the tab until youre ready to use the batery.To activate the battery,How long will my hearing aid batteries last?you simply remove the tab,wait about one minute priorto inserting the batteryinto your hearing aid. Thisallows sufficient time for theair to enter and activate theingredients. Once the tab isremoved, there is no advantageto replacing it when thebattery is not in use.The coloured tab thatseals the hearing aid batteryis “universal” among all batterymanufacturers. Thereare four sizes/colours thatare the most common.• Size 10 (yellow tab) –should last about 90 hours;• Size 312 (brown tab) –should last about 120 hours;• Size 13 (orange tab) –should last about 140 hours;• Size 675 (blue tab) –should last about 180-190hours.As a rule of thumb, thelarger the battery, the longerthe battery life.Battery life is determinedby several factors, such asthe hours the hearing aid isworn, the amount of poweror “amplification” requiredto properly fit the hearingloss as well as the type of listeningsituation you are in.For example, in noisy environmentsthe hearing aidwill use more battery powerbecause the instrument hasto work harder to processsounds correctly.To monitor how long yourbattery is lasting, once youpeel the tab off your battery,place the tab on your calendarand monitor the numberof hours before you need tochange it.If you don’t get the correctamount of usage, your hearingaid may need servicing.All battery sizes are rated bynumber of hours of usage.Batteries should be storedat room temperature. Heatwill shorten the life of thebatteries and refrigeration isnot recommended becausethe moisture reduces batterylife. Extreme temperaturescan drain the batteryof power, as well as veryhumid conditions. Do notcarry batteries in a purse orpocket where they may havecontact with metal objectssuch as keys or coins, as thatcould “short” out the battery.Batteries should be stored inthe manufacturer’s packaginguntil use. When carryinga spare battery, it shouldbe placed in a non-metalliccontainer to prevent contactwith metal objects, suchas keys or coins, in order toprevent short-circuiting ofthe battery. Also, rememberto open your battery doorwhen you are not wearingthe hearing aid so that youdon’t drain the battery.If you find that the batterylife on your hearing aidhas changed, it is recommendedthat you take yourhearing aid to be cleanedand checked to ensure that itis functioning properly.By Alvera SivertsonIt is good to see the baresidewalks again after the bigsnowfall. I took the bus afew times, and had to climbover snow drifts to get onand off the bus. I grew upin Winnipeg and the busstops and intersections werealways cleared of snow.And the buses, whichwere mostly trolleys, ranvery 15 to 20 minutes, sevndays a week, includingundays and holidays.My sisters and I, ages 10,, and 4 took three buses tounday school, starting inPonderosa Place newsCreating Tomorrow:Endowment Fundraising CampaignDecember 1944, when wemoved to Winnipeg fromRabbit Lake, a little town innorthern Saskatchewan.On Dec. 5, I attended theSenior Connector appreciationnight at Desert Gardens.The Hub City Singerssang carols for us. It wasvery enjoyable. I sat at atable with Maisie, age 100.What a lively lady, robust ofspeech and very good company.On Dec. 12 we had ourChristmas dinner here, with90 in attendance, which wascatered by Detlef Bahnsen.It was a turkey dinnerof superb quality. ThanksDetlef and helpers. Danaand Luke sang for us, with aspecial guest appearance byHannah, age 7. All three ofthem are very musicaly talented.On Dec. 13, we had bingowith 27 attending. Wehad lots of candy treats andprizes. Thanks Mona P andHelen K.Dec. 20 will be our birthdaytea with carol singing.Dec. 21 is the start of mybig trip. I will be flying fromKamloops toVancouver toWarning signs of diabetesBy Missagh Manshadi, BScPharmThe Medicine Shoppe PharmacyIn this article we’d like totalk about the warning signsof diabetes. Please payattention to these signs andseek help from your doctorregarding yourself, a memberof family or friends.1. Excessive thirst.2. Frequent urination.3. Rapid weight loss.4. Blurred vision.5. Change in appetite.6. Unusual tiredness.7. Irritability.8. Itchy skin.9. Tingling in limbs.10. Sweet-smelling breath.11. Slow healing of cuts.12. Nausea and vomiting.13. Severe abdominal pain.1.5 million Canadianshave diabetes and know it.Another 750,000 have itand don’t know.Diabetes is the leadingcause of death by disease inCanada.When I was young I was called a rugged individualist.When I was in my fifties I was considered eccentric. Here I am doing and saying the samethings I did then and I’m labelled senile.~ George Burns ( Just you and me Kid, 1979)Kamloops Foundation is joining forces with Kamloops Art Gallery,Kamloops Symphony and Western Canada Theatre in an endowmentfundraising campaign that will see every dollar raised matched by theBC Arts Renaissance Fund.Help us reach our 2006 fundraising goal of $60,000!Heathrow to Dubai and finishingwith a two-hour taxiride to Al Ain, where mydaughter Susan lives.She is treating me to thistrip, and I will be spendinga month with her. I neverthought I would turn into aworld traveller at age 69.Wishing you all a merryChristmas and a happy NewYear.As you get older threethings happen. The first isyour memory goes, and Ican’t remember the othertwo...~ Sir Norman WisdomHoliday wishes and prosperity to all ouradvertisers, readers and contributors.Merry Christmas & Happy 2007!Mike KeetchPublisherSierre AllisonProductionLori KeetchEditorGreg KeetchTechnicalGlen BishopSalesJudi DupontProduction107 - 540 Seymour St. 374-8883The Senior Connector Welcomes Glen BishopWe are pleased to welcome Glen Bishopto the Senior Connector team.Glen will be in charge of advertising salesand looks forward to answering anyquestions you may have regardingadvertising in the Senior Connector.Give Glen a call at 374-8883 or send himan e-mail at editor@seniorconnector.comand he will help you realize your advertisinggoals.The Senior Connector is distributed to 35,000 households inKamloops and to seniors’ centers, residences and other locationsthroughout the Thompson, Nicola, Shuswap and Cariboo regions.The Seniors’ Own Newspaper ~ Free!Suite 107-540 Seymour St.Kamloops BCTel: 374-8883Fax: 374-8802www.seniorconnector.com