Clear, helpful answers to support you every step of the way.

Yes! We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Most attendees at our live seminars are shocked to learn that most hearing aid practices in Australia are owned by foreign hearing aid manufacturers. What this means is that they are only able to recommend the devices that their company makes. In most cases, this is not necessarily a ‘bad’ thing, as all major manufacturers tend to have solutions that are adequate. In our experience, however, no single manufacturer has the best solution for every hearing loss and every patient. Even when they do have the best solution for a particular person’s situation, another manufacturer may come out with a more advanced solution six months later.

Independent audiologists are able to choose from whichever manufacturer they see fit. There are six major manufacturers that tend to wax and wane in quality and effectiveness, often due to their research and development cycles. We recommend that whoever you see for your hearing needs ensures they work with at least three brands; that way, the chances are higher that you’ll be recommended the right solution now and in the future. If your chosen hearing healthcare provider has a limited range, we recommend that you are 100% satisfied with the solution before making a commitment.

Hands down, the best piece of advice we can give any hearing aid owner is that their devices need to be worn full time, meaning at least 12–16 hours per day or during all waking hours. Ask anyone who has had their hearing treated at our practice and they’ll tell you that we are fanatical (in the nicest possible way) about full-time hearing aid use — it’s really, really important!

Apart from bathing, swimming and sleeping, the more your devices are worn, the more beneficial they’ll be in both the immediate and long term. Yet, a surprisingly high number of Australians who own hearing aids don’t wear them adequately.

In the absence of encouragement for full-time use, insufficient acclimatization, or if the devices are uncomfortable, hearing aids are too often left in the top drawer or treated like ‘reading glasses’ and only put on for conversation. Our sense of hearing is completely different from vision; the full benefits and value can only be experienced with full-time use. For instance, reading glasses can assist with short-sightedness, which is an inability to appropriately focus at eye level. The ability to focus on what you want to hear occurs at the level of the brain, not at the ear. Wearing hearing devices on a part-time basis creates confusion because it is challenging for the brain to learn to focus at varying volume levels.

Another benefit of full-time use that is attracting recent research attention is the reduced risk of falls when hearing loss is treated. Untreated hearing loss has been shown to result in a 300% increased risk of falls for people aged 40–69, even at mild levels. Researchers have cited two main reasons for this. The first is environmental awareness. With untreated hearing loss, you’re less likely to hear the thing you’re about to trip on, that step you may miss, or that bike or scooter passing by when you’re out for a walk. The second reason is that the mental resources required to compensate for hearing loss leave less attention available for steadiness and balance.

Falls account for 25% of all hospital admissions and 40% of all nursing home admissions. Of those admitted, 40% do not return to independent living, and 25% pass away within a year. As alarming as these statistics are, they are likely an underestimate, as many falls go unreported. Separate to this, a major cause of falls in older adults is when they get up to answer the phone. Some of the latest hearing aids integrate with cell phones and are hands-free, which could help prevent that from happening. Falls can happen at any time; full-time hearing aid use essentially removes the increased risk that comes with untreated hearing loss.

When you think about it, you can’t turn your natural hearing levels on, off, up, or down. If you, or someone you care about, owns hearing devices, remember that wearing them for 12–16 hours per day is critical for success and for maximizing the value of these modern marvels.