NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Hear, hear to audio aids Even when they constantly have to ask others to repeat themselves, many people experiencing hearing loss can be in denial and believing others are just mumbling. “This can make it more difficult for concerned family members to raise the issue without causing offence or distress,” says Bernadette Rebello from Active Audiology. “Family and friends can also, through kindness, make excuses for a loved one’s hearing problems. It’s just their age, they might say, or they’re distracted, or it’s just a natural part of the ageing process that needs to be accommodated. “But over time, this can become frustrating and those with a hearing issue may gradually get excluded from gatherings or outings. This, in turn, can lead them to stop going to any event where conversation, especially in groups, feels impossible. Formerly active lives may come to a standstill.”
“..[hearing] issues can label someone as “old” far more than the presence of a hearing device...” Getting a non-confrontational dialogue started may at least prompt them to consult an audiologist. Bernadette suggests questions, such as “Do you find people mumble? Do you ever feel exhausted in group settings? Do you think your husband/wife may be unhappy about missing out on things?” Bernadette also explains that even people who recognise their hearing loss will avoid getting a hearing device because they believe it will make them look ‘old’. “My response to this is that a stereotype of older people can include someone who mishears often, constantly asks for repeats or accuses others of mumbling,” she says. “These issues can label someone as ‘old’ far more than the presence of a hearing device which can be quite hard to detect these days.” Active Audiology, a completely independent provider, has been giving expert, unbiased advice for 11 years. The government-accredited hearing specialist has the full suite of hearing services and products – which are free for eligible pensioners and veterans. Active Audiology, 10 Harrington Square, Altona. Opens 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Inquiries: 9398 3331 or visit www.activeaudiology.com.au.
Holidaying wife mystery solved By Emily Woods, The Age When Janina Wojcik left her Altona home on Christmas Eve 1962, she told her husband she was going on a holiday. He never saw her again. Thus began one of the most intriguing mysteries and longest-running police investigations in Victoria. After 54 years’ missing, police on Saturday revealed they had solved the case. Janina had remarried, changed her name and created a new life for herself as a public servant in Canberra. She died from a medical condition in 2010, aged 87. The drive to crack the long-running mystery came from Hobsons Bay police’s Detective Senior Constable Luke Dalli, who took over the investigation in 2013. “I inherited the case from another team. There had been a lot of work done, but it needed a fresh set of eyes,” he said. He took to social media and spread the word through The Age and other media, seeking public assistance to breathe new life into the mysterious disappearance. Ms Wojcik’s husband Marion had reported Janina missing three months after he last saw her, wearing a blue skirt and white cardigan as she left their David Street, Altona, home. Originally, police investigators established a taxi driver had taken Janina from her home to the Newport railway station. Little progress was made for another five decades, but the breakthrough finally came when Detective Senior Constable Dalli received a call from the ACT Trustees Office last year.
Janina Wojcik’s mystery disappearance has been solved after 54 years. (Supplied)
His plan had worked. A Trustees officer had seen a news story on Janina’s disappearance. “Their job was trying to finalise a deceased person’s estate and they couldn’t find any family members,” he said. “This person got in contact with me to see if there were similarities. Together we were able to reconcile the records and marry up the person she was looking for. “Then I was able to get photos of when she became a citizen and when she was naturalised, I was able to get her new marriage certificate and death certificate.” He said Janina Wojcik was classified as a displaced person following World War II and had moved to Australia to begin a new life. In 1962 it appeared her marriage to Mr Wojcik had broken down. She left without telling anyone, met a man named Karl Gruber and resettled in Canberra soon after. The couple married on January 4, 1977. Mr Wojcik died before police could ever tell him what had happened to his wife.
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8 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY \ MAY 18, 2016
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