In Australia, there are options available to reduce the cost of hearing aids:

1. If you are an eligible Australian pensioner, you are entitled to fully subsidised hearing aids, batteries and maintenance. You can also choose to make a co-payment towards the cost of a higher level of hearing aid technology. Contact us for more information.
2. If you have private health insurance, you may be able to claim back some of the cost. Talk to our audiologist for further information.
3. Worker’s Compensation may be an option if you have workplace noise-induced hearing loss. Contact our clinic for further information.
4. We also offer payment plans to assist with the purchase of a hearing aid. Please contact 1300 885 583 for further information

1. Otoscopy – Basically looking in your ear to make sure there is no wax or other problems preventing sound from entering your ear.
2. Air Conduction Testing – Usually while wearing Headphones or Insert Earphones, this is where an Audiologist will  play you “beeps” to see if you can hear them.  They are trying to find out the softest sound you can hear.
3. Bone Conduction Testing – This is where we send sound into your ear by vibrating  your skull.  This will help the Audiologist identify the part of your ear that is causing a hearing loss, if you have a hearing loss at all.
4. Word Recognition Score – This is where you repeat words at an audible level and the audiologist determines how accurate you can understand them.  They may need to be amplified if you have a hearing loss.

If you haven’t had a hearing test in the past 5 years, you should.  Find an Audiologist near you to see how well you hear.

As an independently owned and operated audiology clinic, we have the flexibility to recommend devices from any manufacturer. Consequently, we routinely recommend hearing aids from any of the leading manufacturers depending on the best interest of the patient. Before recommending a device, we take into account each patient’s unique situation and individual hearing needs. Phonak, Signia, Oticon, Resound, Starkey, Unitron, Bernafon and other options are available at Hearing First Audiology Clinic. Please call 1300 885 583 for further information

1. Subjective Questionnaire – Pre and Post questionnaires are a great way to determine how much success you are having with your hearing aids in your natural environments.
2. Physical Fit of your Hearing Aids – Get this part wrong and nothing else matters.  Fit affects more than comfort.  It can dictate how well a hearing aid can be programmed and functions.
3. Real Ear Measures – REMs are the only way to ensure proper programming of your hearing aids.
4. How to use your new hearing aids – It would probably be a good idea if you knew how to put them in your ears and turn them on.
5. Realistic Expectations – Getting used to hearing aids takes time, and it isn’t always easy.  There will be some sounds that you hate, but it will get better.  Your audiologist should discuss these with you so you know what to expect.

Real Ear Measures, or Real Ear Verification, is the only way to ensure your hearing aids are fit appropriately. Real Ear Measurement is the gold standard method of verifying these hearing aid prescriptions. With this process, your hearing care provider will place probe microphone tubes inside of your ear canals along with the hearing aids that they are programming. These microphone tubes will record the level of amplification coming out of the hearing aids. By playing a known calibrated signal from a loud speaker in front of you, we can measure to see if the amplification coming out of the hearing aids is meeting your prescriptive targets.

There are 4 main reasons why you should be seeing your hearing care professional no less than 1 time per year.

1. Most people produce significant amounts of earwax and this earwax can block your ear canals and stop sound from your hearing aids which can limit your benefit.
2. Hearing aids are precision medical devices that are not intended to go for long periods of time without maintenance and proper cleaning.
3. Your hearing aids will eventually malfunction. Your hearing care professional can perform Electroacoustic Analysis (EAA) to ensure that your devices are performing up to specs.
4. Your hearing can change.  –  Just because your hearing loss was at one level last year, doesn’t mean that it hasn’t changed since then. If your prescription has changed, then your hearing aids need to be reprogrammed.