The new NextSense Alstonville centre, servicing people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision, will officially open this morning. It replaces their Lismore centre, which was destroyed in the 2022 floods.
NextSense, a not-for-profit organisation, has serviced Lismore and surrounding areas for more than 20 years and the Alstonville centre is the Northern Rivers region’s sole cochlear implant and early intervention facility for children and adults with hearing loss.
Impacts of flood disaster are far-reaching
NextSense Chief Executive, Chris Rehn, said the impacts of last year’s flood disaster are far-reaching and continue to reverberate.
‘While the loss of our Lismore centre was a huge blow, our story is also one of community and resilience. The NextSense team is happy to have found a new home so quickly and to be continuing as part of this great community’, he said.
Mr Rehn said the loss of hearing is one of the most prevalent disabilities in Australia, with about 3.6 million Australians living with hearing loss. ‘By 2060 that’s expected to double to more than 7.8 million people.’
A new benefit to the region
The service’s reopening has also brought a new benefit to the region: easier access to wrap-around hearing healthcare through a partnership with leading ear surgeon Dr Joshua Jervis-Bardy, who now shares premises with NextSense at Alstonville.
The new centre is situated close to both Lismore Base Hospital and St Vincent’s Lismore, servicing clients through the public and private healthcare systems. Services include early intervention in children, pre-surgery assessment and post-surgery rehabilitation in children and adults.
The NextSense Alstonville centre official opening is on Friday 4 August from 11.30am at Office 3, Level 1, Alstonville Plaza 91-93 Main Street Alstonville.
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