The Bendigo Seniors Expo brought together members of the local community for a day of information, connection and ideas for living well. Country Hearing Care’s Bendigo Clinical Team Lead, Courtney Di Battista, attended to meet visitors, answer questions and talk about an aspect of healthy ageing that can sometimes be overlooked: hearing.
More than hearing a sound
As people move through different stages of life, staying healthy is not only about physical fitness or managing medical conditions.
Hearing difficulties can gradually make restaurants, group conversations and everyday social situations more challenging, sometimes leading people to step back from activities they once
enjoyed.
Staying connected
For many seniors, social connection is an important part of wellbeing. Being able to participate in conversations, hear grandchildren, enjoy community activities or simply sit around the
table with family can have a meaningful impact on quality of life. That is why hearing health deserves a place in conversations about healthy ageing.
A simple conversation can make a difference
Community events create a different environment from a traditional healthcare appointment. People can browse, listen, ask a quick question and move on. For someone wondering whether
their hearing has changed, that low-pressure conversation can make the first step feel much easier.
Part of the Bendigo community
The expo was another opportunity to connect with local people, share practical information and reinforce a simple message: hearing well is an important part of living well. Community engagement does not always need to be complicated; sometimes it starts with saying hello and taking a few minutes to talk about health.
“Community events make hearing health easier to talk about. A simple conversation can help someone understand their options and feel more confident taking the next step.”
— Maddison Kennedy, Clinical Services Manager
Why this story matters
For Country Hearing Care, events like the Bendigo Seniors Expo help make hearing health information easier to access and easier to talk about.
Students at the Swan Hill Allied Health Work Experience Week Graduation Lunch had spent the week exploring the possibilities available across allied health. For Country Hearing Care Audiologist Tia Liu, being invited as guest speaker was a chance to show students what a career in audiology can look like—and the opportunities that exist in regional Australia.
The Bendigo Health Foundation Supporter Appreciation Event brought together businesses, community organisations and supporters who share a common goal: strengthening healthcare for people across the Bendigo region. Country Hearing Care attended as a proud Friend of Bendigo Health and joined an evening recognising the contribution of supporters across the region.
The conversation began with a simple question: what can we all do to look after our brain health as we get older? Through the Brain Health Roadshow, Country Hearing Care partnered with Dementia Australia to take that conversation directly into regional communities.
Working closely with local First Nations communities and groups, the initiative provided education and practical information about dementia risk factors and prevention strategies, while highlighting an important connection that can sometimes be overlooked: the relationship between hearing health and brain health.
The morning sun was already warming the fields around Gunbower when the Country Hearing Care Mobile Hearing Van arrived at Harvesting Health. Local farmers, agricultural workers and families had gathered for a day focused on health and wellbeing, creating a familiar and relaxed setting to talk about something that can easily be overlooked in busy rural lives: hearing health.
