"I learned a lot. I really didn't expect to," charter member Peggy Thompson said of the talk delivered Sunday by Caddo Council on Aging Executive Director Mary Alice Rountree.

Rountree discussed some of the services provided by the Council on Aging before helping the audience members navigate the murky waters of prescription drug coverage. In addition to the Medicare-approved prescription drug cards, Rountree also explained Louisiana's SenioRx program, which helps people more than 60 years old apply for free medications from pharmaceutical companies.

The local chapter of SHHH began more than 20 years ago, Thompson said.

Hearing loss can cause difficulties for the individual as well as family members, and cause the individual to lose confidence, Thompson said.

"When you lose your hearing, you start to become isolated," Thompson said. "It's very frustrating having to work to hear all the time. Someone who has perfect hearing cannot realize what it's like."

Local chapter President Rosie Eichler said that friends and information are the backbone of SHHH. She said she had found out about a lot of services and products through her connections.

"It's mostly important to find out there are other people in the same position we are."

By Sarah Reilly Pancoast