#WhyWeAreMoved-Davidson Hearing Aid Centres
10/15/2021
Bruyère Month has officially ended, and what a month it was! We’re so pleased to have been able to share all that Bruyère is with our community, from the research being done and the care being provided, to the shortfalls of the current healthcare system and how we are facing them. As has been true for every healthcare organization, the pandemic has challenged Bruyère, but with the determination and support of our staff, volunteers, and the community, we have been able to adapt and continue to provide the quality care that our patients need.
Bruyère Month wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors. That’s why, to end this incredible and inspiring month, we’ve asked our sponsors to tell their #WhyWeAreMoved stories.
Robbie Davidson, Audiologist and President of Davidson Hearing Aid Centres, shared the story of his personal connection to Bruyère, as well as his thoughts about what motivated Davidson’s support of Bruyère Month, as the official #BeHeard sponsor.
For nearly 80 years, three generations of the Davidson family have been providing hearing-specific healthcare services in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. Davidson Hearing Aid Centres, like Bruyère, have a mission to help patients to be able to live a life as close to their personal “normal” as possible. Davidson does this by helping patients to strengthen their relationships through better communication, and the ability to continue their engagement in social settings. Although people of all ages, from newborns to centenarians, can experience hearing loss, most people who come to Davidson for help are seniors. Natural aging, along with the accumulation of the noise exposure encountered in one’s lifetime, causes most people’s hearing to slowly decline over time. Recent studies have shown how treating hearing loss plays a significant role in healthy aging, showing once again how the work that our two organizations do is complementary to one another.
On a more personal level, the Davidson family, like many families in the Ottawa area, has experienced first-hand the care that Bruyère provides. Robbie shared his experience through his memories of visiting his grandfather at the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital’s palliative care wing. In his early twenties at the time, Robbie would spend hours there, watching hockey on TV together, or reading as his grandfather slept knowing that family was with him. The staff were always helpful, and worked to create a welcoming and supportive environment for the patient and the entire family. Robbie described how, despite the difficulty of the situation, his memories of that period were of peace and tranquility; being able to hear new stories from his grandfather’s past, and having the opportunity to say goodbye. Robbie’s story is similar to many Ottawa residents, who have found that Bruyère is there for them when they need it the most.