Happy Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM)!
This specially recognized month was founded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and has been acknowledged as such for nearly a century. This month is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness in your community and clinic about hearing loss and communication disorders.
However, this year has brought a whole new set of challenges. With COVID-19 changing how we do everyday tasks, educating others on the causes and symptoms of hearing loss and how to recognize them is important now more than ever. One of the most important things you can do is provide information about early intervention to receive proper treatment and how it can help reduce the chance of future impairment.
Here are some creative ways your practice can help increase awareness to BHSM while safely distancing during this pandemic:
- Arrange a speaking engagement on your social media platform. Reach out to your patients via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and let them know you’ll be live-streaming a brief presentation and provide resources about symptoms and treatments. Not only is this a great way for you to engage with your patients, but you may get some new followers, too!
- Encourage your staff to post on social media platforms about BHSM through your practice’s accounts, as well as their own personal accounts. Their family and friends may be interested in this information too because hearing loss is about everyone, not just existing patients.
- Mail brochures, postcards, or other informational materials about hearing loss symptoms to your patients.
- Email patients a newsletter. Highlight preventative measures they can take in between appointments, current articles/topics around hearing loss, and news around your practice. They’ll appreciate the information and the effort you and your staff are putting into staying in touch.
What are some other special ways that you or your practice are acknowledging Better Hearing and Speech Month? Comment below and let us know!
