FINDING A DIFFERENT WAY TO CARE

M A R I E - J O S É E T A I L L E F E R ’ S

C O L U M N

It’s March 2020. I’ve just learned that Québec has declared a state of public health emergency. A few days later, the entire province is put on pause.

We’ve all been affected by this crisis in some way. Personally, all of my conferences and events were cancelled. Especially since a part of the clientele targeted by these activities was precisely the one most at risk. Cancelling was really the only option. It was a matter of safety. Over the past few months, we’ve all had to get used to the new rules. We had no choice, even if it meant changing behaviours we had been practicing all our lives such as shaking hands or kissing. Even so, I think we’ve really shown a lot of resilience as a society.

Shifting Our Habits and Practices

We have all shown a lot of empathy by making changes to protect the most vulnerable among us. The widespread use of face masks shows just how much we care about our community. While I’m not questioning this measure in any way, I must admit that I wondered how it would affect people with hearing loss. I wasn’t sure how my children, who are both deaf and generally read lips to understand, would be able to talk to someone who’s wearing a mask. However, I have found that a lot of people have been very empathetic once they have been made aware of the challenge. So if you have hearing loss, don’t be afraid to mention it to the person you’re talking to. People just need to be aware that these new measures can be an obstacle to some. More often than not, they will adjust their behaviour accordingly.

Businesses Are Transforming

We haven’t just had to review our habits as individuals. Companies have also had to adapt very quickly. Changes that could have taken years to implement were made in just a few weeks. Even if nobody was ready to make so many changes so quickly, we had to roll up our sleeves and do it. It became an opportunity to innovate. Of course, Lobe clinics didn’t escape this wave of change. All of its adjustments were made with the goal of protecting patients and professionals alike. I’d like to share a few changes that have come about in Lobe clinics over the past few months. Not only do I want to inform you of the new safety protocols, I also want to let you know that all of these changes, while they were implemented quickly, are both positive and permanent.

Safety, Our Priority

New Health Protocol

Of course, in terms of health protocol, everything has been put in place in the clinics to ensure the safety of patients and all professionals, always taking into account public health recommendations. As soon as an appointment is booked, a triage is carried out to check the patient’s state of health, but also to offer the best appointment option. When you arrive at the clinic, you’ll be asked to sanitize your hands and wear a mask. At the counter, plexiglas panels have been installed to ensure the protection of all. The surfaces are disinfected frequently during the day and the number of seats in the waiting rooms has been limited to encourage physical distancing. In addition, the professionals you meet will be wearing gloves, masks, and visors. So you have nothing to worry about—all of these measures ensure a safe environment.

Hearing Health Consultation

Another big change in the Lobe network is the launch of the hearing health consultation. This is a consultation offered for free* that can be done by videoconference, by telephone or in a Lobe clinic, in a secure environment. This service was developed to allow people to take control of their hearing health, while limiting travel. You will find all the details about this consultation on page 7. »»»

Online Visibility

A New Online Store

The last few months have given Lobe the opportunity to go virtual. It’s led to a few major changes, most notably the new online store! You can now purchase a number of items online to help you take care of your hearing health. Even better, the items are delivered right to your home. That means you don’t need to go out to get hearing aids batteries. The online store also has hearing aids maintenance products, and even some assistive listening devices. Learn more about the online store in the article on page 14 or visit boutique.lobe.ca/en.

Going Digital… Faster

Lobe clinics have chosen to speed up their digital shift in order to encourage physical distancing. That means implementing changes like these:

Digitizing tens of thousands of patient files.

Implementing software to let us go paperless—not only is this better for the environment, it also reduces the risk of virus transmission.

Making Lobe Magazine available online, improving access.

Creating a Customer Account on the online store with exclusive content.

Add a virtual assistant on lobe.ca to guide visitors and help them find the information they need.

I was also able to film a number of informative videos about hearing health. These videos let people discover the services available in Lobe clinics and provide tips on improving people’s everyday lives. You can watch the videos on Lobe’s Facebook page and YouTube channel! I will also soon be taking part in live appointments on the web.

Redefining “Normal”

We have the impression that our lives have changed overnight, and we still don’t know what the next few months—let alone the next few years—will bring. We will have to establish a new normal. Transformations will still occur, some more important than others. Personally, I’m embracing all of these individual and organizational changes. One day, we will be telling stories about this time to children who are too young to know what’s going on right now. We will tell them about all of the upheavals and how things weren’t always easy. We will explain to them how life changed, drastically. But we will also tell them about the beauty. That we have realized just how much we can accomplish together. We will teach them to empathize, to enjoy every moment as if it were their last. We will encourage them to slow down, to take their time. Surely, they won’t have the same “normal” that we did for so long, but they'll be stronger and better equipped than we are to deal with any similar situation.

Take care of yourselves,

Marie-Josée Taillefer

Ambassador of Lobe clinics and of hearing health