Deaf? Got an emergency? Dial 114

Blog
1

Browsing through the new fire brigade calendar (yes, it's that time of year again) I came across a new (to me) emergency number: 114.


I knew 112, the mobile phone number that works right across the EU, but 114?


This number is reserved for the deaf, the hard of hearing or anyone who has difficulty speaking (even if you've merely lost your voice due to a sore throat!). So if you have a problem like this, don't call 15, 17 or 18, dial 114.



The way it works: send an SMS or a fax to 114 with the details, using the journalistic intro bible --Who, What, Where, if necessary When, Why and How. The 114 service will then contact the emergency service you need and send help.


If you just need a doctor or a dentist and the surgery's closed, it's a weekend, bank holiday or just a "pont", and it's not an emergency -- your baby's running a temperature, for example, and you're worried ... don't call 15 except as a last resort. You should have a separate number for the on-call doctor. In Lozère it's 0810 604 608, but as the service is organised regionally or departmentally by the ARS (Agence Régionale de Santé) or your local CHU (University Hospital), it's not the same number everywhere.


I haven't been able to find a list of all these numbers so, if you don't have your local number, try searching for "permanence des soins numero telephone" and add the name of your département. This should produce the number. You could also ask the mairie, your doctor or even the chemist. Or look on the web site of your ARS (Agence Regionale de Santé) or the Conseil Général.


I will be adding the gist of this to the "It's an emergency" page of Useful Links as well as the "Get Help" page.

2

Swift update -- the proposed new health law due to go before parliament some time this year includes a clause setting up a national number for contacting the on-call doctor, replacing the current departmental numbers. Given the opposition to this law (i.e. the strikes involving private clinics, specialists etc) the law may never see the light of day but watch this space.

3

*seems*

:)

4

Vic - you have now been assured by Terry ( an admin) and James (the community manager) that is is perfectly OK to post a link so refusing to do so seems churlish.

5

Vic, it's perfectly OK to put the info Mike is asking for here for all to see.

6

I did 4 years service in the military in the early 50's, most of it in the Far East, in Malaya, when Chinese Comunists (is that spelt write) were trying to take over the world in a different manner to the system they are currently employing. I digress.... The main method of self preservation on jungle patrol at that time was the Lee Enfield 303, a rifle which emitted a rather loud bang when one pressed the trigger and if one didn't hold the butt tightly into the chin would give you a very sore burst lip at the least.

I am now very deaf to high notes, I subsequently contacted a special Government military website for assistance and advice and was informed that..... 'I was too late in applying for help'

My son has since purchased an independent loudspeaker for me that is linked to the TV that I can regulate the TV/radio sound personally for my own use without disturbing the family. My Final note is that I am frightened to resort to a hearing aid as I fear that once I some form of auriol assistance I will forever be dependant o the availability of batteries

7

CAN YOU HEAR ME, VIC! Brand name and price, please?

8

I think mine is typical geriatric male deafness. I am still bothered by loud noises, but the higher frequencies don't register. I did an online test that came back with the "diagnosis" that I had the hearing of a veteran WW2 artilleryman! But it is very selective. I regularly fail to cancel the direction indicators on our car. It makes a "tink, tink" sound, but I recently borrowed a Peugeot that went "plink, plonk" and could hear that clearly, although my wife said that ours is louder. I have a watch with an alarm that I never hear, but which sends white-hot arrows through other peoples' brains!Brand name and price, please Vic?

9

Vic, you are free to post links providing you have no vested interest as per our T&Cs. I presume you are referring to post of yours that was removed on another thread, the post was removed for other reasons and through no fault of your own. Please don't jump to conclusions regarding censorship. SFN is a commercial entity, not a free listing site.

Thanks

James

10

Though, in view of the cause of his deafness, Vic's experience is unlikely to be typical.

11

I too got “in ear” hearing aids about 2 years ago. I wouldn’t say I was 100% satisfied but I cope much better now and certainly don’t feel as isolated as I did without them.
My only real problems are in noisy environments and on the phone (difficult enough coping with the French when the caller babbles away at a thousand words per minute).
Got mine in the UK from a well-known large pharmacy chain!!

12

I have no problem with Vic naming names I this instance but it's one for James and Catharine to rule on.

13

Vic,
Since you have no financial interest and the information could be useful to many of us, I wonder if our moderators would mind?

14

My No 1 excuse of the moment is that as my knowledge of French increases, my hearing deteriorates in inverse proportion.
Anyone who does not have this problem is likely to say, "You're deaf, you old fool. why don't you get yourself a hearing aid?" But in a recent survey, 65% of users said they were dissatisfied with their hearing aids. The remaining 35% said "Quoi?" OK, I made that last bit up. But it does make one reluctant to spend several thousand Euros on something that might not be much help. Would anyone care to share there experience with these things?