If the battery is bad eventually all you will hear is a clicking noise and the engine will not crank at all. I would get the battery tested as soon as possible and replace if necessary. A typical battery should last around five years in normal use.

It is very easy to check the power steering fluid level. Unscrew the cap from the reservoir and you should see a marker with two levels, one for 20 degrees C and one for 80 degrees C, check as appropriate. The power steering will increse in noise if held against the steering lock as the pump will be under more load.