Elderly people are at a high risk of becoming isolated, and deafness can conflate the situation.

On Tuesday Nowra’s Rae Doak was presented with the Living Care Volunteer of the Year award for her work with hearing impaired people in the Clelland Lodge nursing home. 

Rae’s mother was severely hearing impaired, and struggled to connect with people, and Rae has spent years helping others to overcome the same difficulties.

She volunteers as a hearing helper to ensure the elderly are equipped with hearing aids, and the hearing aids are fitted correctly.

“I am passionate about volunteering, and in particular I’m passionate about enabling people to hear more effectively,”

“I was born into deafness, my mother was deaf from the age of 11, in those days it was very hard to get a sophisticated hearing aid.

“As I progressed, started to get a bit deaf too, so I needed surgery to hear more effectively.

“I just happened to marry James who is deaf.

“It is very isolating, and I know with my mum, she was withdrawn, and sometimes you get the wrong messages, you think you hear somebody but you really don’t hear them.

“When somebody is fitted with a hearing aid and they’re quite elderly, it’s quite difficult for them to adjust, hearing the noise on Illaroo Road and the trolleys coming up, it does take quite a bit of perseverance for them to learn to use the hearing aid to its advantage.”

Volunteering has been rewarding for Rae.

“I get a sense of belonging, I’m respected, I get a lot of autonomy,” she said.

“I want to thank the residents for allowing me into their lives and telling me their wonderful stories.”

Living Care executive director Natalie Cook hosted a ceremony to thank Rae and other volunteers for their work in 2017.

“I really appreciate all of the effort you’ve put in to make the residents feel like they’re part of a bigger community,” she said.

“Congratulations Rae, you’ve well-deserved the award.”