To our clients and their families,

Happy New Year.

As we start 2021 we want to reassure everyone that our network of 171 hearing centres across Australia remain open and ready to help.

We remain committed to supporting anyone who needs help, anywhere in Australia, and continue to adapt the way we provide services to our clients to ensure we all stay well.

We are caring for thousands of clients every day in our hearing centres, over the phone or via video link.

We are also closely monitoring the advice and directions of government authorities in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the NSW, Victorian and Queensland health authorities in response to recent COVID-19 cases.


Services in NSW, Victoria and Queensland

All of our hearing centres remain open.

Given the current COVID-19 situation:

• We ask everyone to ring us on 131 797 before travelling into our centres as we may be able to assist you without you having to leave your home
• Our staff are using face masks and face shields. Face shields are being worn where clients are unable to follow the conversation if they can't see the talker's mouth
• We may ask our clients in these centres to wear face masks (and have masks available if you do not have your own)
• If you require batteries during this time, we urge you NOT to come into a hearing centre as we are happy to post these to you. If you need these urgently, you can purchase batteries from your nearest pharmacy as Hearing Australia will reimburse you for the full amount, provided you have proof of purchase.

All other centres throughout Australia:

Our hearing centres are open, and we are seeing all clients as usual with their appointments.

 

In all our Hearing Centres we are:

• Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures
• Minimising the number of people in the waiting room
• Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients
• Offering clients the option to come into the centre or receive support remotely via the telephone or a video call.
   

We’re here to help  

• We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:

•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 

Kim Terrell Managing Director Hearing Australia

Gina Mavrias Chief Operating Officer Hearing Australia

 

Why are you still open? 

As an essential health service, we recognise the importance of continuing to provide care. Our dedicated team continues to provide these essential hearing services to all our clients, and other members of the community, across Australia. We have and will continue to change and adapt the way we provide services to you and anyone who needs our help, especially via tele-services and supporting services.

What do I do if I want hearing help now?

Please contact us on 13 44 32 and one of our team will be happy to discuss your hearing needs and arrange a timely solution.  If preferred, you can send us an online enquiry via Contact Us and we’ll get back to you via your preferred contact method.  Live chat is also available during business hours (AEDT), via Contact Us.

What do I do if I’m over 70?

The Prime Minister on Sunday has recommended that anyone over 70 years old should remain isolated as much as possible.  If you have an upcoming appointment, or need help of any kind please phone us on 13 44 32 and we will be happy to help you.  Whilst our centres are still operating, there are alternative services available including tele-services.  If you have an appointment already booked, we will contact you to do a phone consultation and determine if you still need to come into the centre. 

What if I'm not a Hearing Australia client?

Our team is always here to help, even if you're not a client of Hearing Australia. During this period, if your usual hearing service provider is temporarily closed, we are happy to help as best we can.  We can assist with any hearing related enquiries, supply batteries and check your hearing aid.  Our clinicians are also available to assist you with troubleshooting and device set up.  If you are eligible for the Government Hearing Services Program, this service can only be provided with your consent.

Will audiologists wear face masks during my appointment?

As wearing a face covering becomes mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from Wednesday 22nd July 11.59pm, our audiologists will use face shields to help stop the spread of “droplets” the same way a face mask can. Face shields are being worn to help assist those with hearing difficulties in their communication.

Do you offer home visits?

We do offer home visits if needed. Before coming to visit we will conduct a phone screening to discuss if it is necessary and to ensure the safety of both parties. Telephone appointments are also suitable for a large number of clients.

How is Hearing Australia helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and communities?

Hearing Australia has paused all visits to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities until it is safe for us to resume our visits. In the interim, for many remote communities, we hope to provide services via video. As pre-planned visits to urban and regional communities approach, we’re contacting services to discuss whether the visit should go ahead. For visits that are not going ahead, we’re working on other ways of seeing clients: by phone, video or in person at one of our hearing centres.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients are welcome to contact us on 13 44 32 or online at Contact Us.

 

I have an appointment coming up, what do I need to do?

You don’t need to do a thing. All our appointments will be conducted by our clinicians via phone in the first instance, our dedicated team will work with you to provide the best option for your situation. We’ll be in touch the day before your appointment via phone.

Can I book a new appointment?

You can book an appointment online here or by calling us and we will contact you to discuss which appointment options may work best for you during this time.

Can I book an appointment for my child/baby?

Yes. Please contact us via phone, email or chat as so we can ensure you are cared for by a Paediatric Specialist.

What if I have an appointment already booked?

Your appointment will remain as normal, however we will call to confirm how you would like to conduct this appointment as we are using our teleaudiology services where possible. If this is not suitable we will advise of face to face appointment procedures.

Is it safe for me to come in for an appointment?

Where possible we are conducting appointments via the phone. However for those instances where we need to see you (if you need moulds or cannot access teleservices) we are taking strict precautions to ensure your safety. This includes full sanitising of office and reception after every client, extra protective wear for our audiologists and compliance of the 1.5 metre rule.

Does the maximum of two rule for public gatherings also apply to my appointment?

The announcement relating to a maximum of two people for public gatherings doesn’t apply to your appointment. However, we will follow best practice to keep you and our clinicians safe and limit appointment attendance by other family members or carers wherever possible.  If you want to understand more about the steps we are taking please phone us on 13 44 32 and we will answer any questions you have.

What if I am having issues with my hearing aids (Eg: volume doesn’t seem right or moulds are causing discomfort).

Give us a call and we can talk through any issues you are having with your hearing aids over the phone or video call. If it is unable to be fixed over the phone or video call and you are unable to come into the centre, you can post your hearing aids to us to fix.

What if I am having trouble with connecting to Bluetooth?

Give us a call and we can troubleshoot over the phone or with a video call if you are unable to pop into the centre.

What if my remote wireless microphone or BAHA/Ponto (bone conduction device) isn't working?

If they have stopped working and we aren't able to fix over the phone, you can post them to us and we will post them back once its repaired.

What do I do if my hearing aid breaks?

If your hearing aid breaks you can drop into a centre, but in the interests of your wellbeing we would encourage you post it to us and we can post it back to you once its repaired. We can also offer a loan device if needed. Just give us a call.

What if I or my child has lost their hearing aid or parts (eg. earmoulds)?

Give us a call and we can arrange a replacement that we will post out to you. If we are unable to replace your exact hearing aid part, we can discuss the best option for you. If you have lost earmoulds, it may be possible to use a scan image to order you new ones and post them out to you.

What do I do if I need batteries?

You can request batteries via our website and they will be posted out to you. Or again, just give us a call.

 

What if my hearing aids require minor repair?

Give us a call and we can talk through any issues you are having with your hearing aids over the phone or video call. If it is unable to be fixed over the phone or video call and you are unable to come into the centre, you can post your hearing aids to us to fix.

How do I collect a repaired or replacement hearing aid?

Once we have set up your repaired or replacement device, we will post it out to you.

How do I pay my annual maintenance fee (HSC)?

We can arrange payments with over the phone payment options or a cheque can be posted.

Is there any devices that can make watching TV or using the phone easier during this time?

We have a number of Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's) to make sure you stay connected to family and important updates. Information about our products is available here, or you can book a phone appointment with one of our clinicians to discuss options that can help.

I'm feeling isolated and lonely with no face to face contact, where can I go for help?

To us, your mental health is just as important as your hearing health. If you're experiencing anxiety or feelings of loneliness during this period of isolation you can contact your GP for support or Beyond Blue for further support.

30/11/2020

To our clients and their families,

Your health and wellbeing continue to be our number one priority especially during this challenging time. Our national network of 168 permanent centres remain open. We are committed to supporting you with your hearing health needs and we continue to adapt the way we provide hearing services to our clients to ensure we all stay safe. We are offering different options for accessing hearing health services and are caring for thousands of clients every day with increased safeguards in centre, or over the phone and video link. 

We are committed to supporting you and your families during this time. We want to reassure you that in:

Victoria, South Australia & New South Wales:

•    Our hearing centres are open and you can access the full range of hearing services;
•    Clients have the options to coming into the centre or receive support remotely; just let us know when you are booking an appointment; 
•    Our audiologists are using face masks and/or face shields to help stop the spread of “droplets”. Face shields are being worn where clients are unable to follow the conversation if they can't see the talker's mouth;
•    Where possible, we strongly encourage our clients wear face coverings when visiting a centre, we have face masks available if you do not have your own.

All other states:
•    Our hearing centres are open, and we are seeing all clients as usual with their appointments;
•    We have face coverings available if any of our clients prefers to wear one or prefer their audiologist wear one. 

Here for Everyone
We’ve continued to transform the way we care for you and your family by:
•    Providing support to all Australians including people who are not normally our clients and those who don’t qualify for government funded services;
•    Our national network of 166 Hearing Centres is still open to help service our clients and their families;
•    We’re offering full hearing assessments with one of our Hearing Specialists for $99 for any adults ineligible for Government funded services;
•    And we are making high-quality hearing aids more affordable by reducing the cost of our popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone ineligible for Government funded hearing services (these are the same hearing aids that are normally fully subsidised for those eligible for government assistance).

Supporting our clients at hearing centres, we are still:
•    Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures;
•    Minimising the number of people in the waiting room;
•    Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;
•    Offering clients the option to come into the centre or receive support remotely 

We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 
 

03/08/2020

To our clients and their families,

Your health and wellbeing continue to be our number one priority especially during this challenging time. Our national network of 168 permanent centres remain open. We are committed to supporting you with your hearing health needs and we continue to adapt the way we provide hearing services to our clients to ensure we all stay safe. We are offering different options for accessing hearing health services and are caring for thousands of clients every day with increased safeguards in centre, or over the phone and video link. 

We are committed to supporting you and your families during this time. We want to reassure you that in:

Victoria:
•    Our hearing centres are still open as an essential service throughout Victoria;
•    We are actively encouraging appointments via tele-care and video link wherever possible;
•    To maintain appropriate social distancing, please do not come into one of our centres without an appointment. Please call 131 797;
•    We ask everyone to ring our Hearing Centres on 131 797 before travelling into a centres as we may be able to assist you without you having to leave your home;
•    For those with an upcoming appointment, we will call you the day before to check that you are feeling well and still able to attend;
•    In line with government’s requirement for everyone to wear a face covering, our audiologists are using face shields to help stop the spread of “droplets”.  As you can still see the talker’s mouth, these make it easier for people with a hearing loss to follow the conversation;
•    We also require people coming into a centre to wear face coverings in our centres.

New South Wales:
•    Our hearing centres are open and you can access the full range of hearing services;
•    Clients have the options to coming into the centre or receive support remotely; just let us know when you are booking an appointment; 
•    Our audiologists are using face shields to help stop the spread of “droplets”. As you can still see the talker’s mouth, these make it easier (than face masks) for people with a hearing loss to follow the conversation;
•    Where possible, we strongly encourage our clients wear face coverings when visiting a centre, we have face masks available if you do not have your own.

All other states:
•    Our hearing centres are open, and we are seeing all clients as usual with their appointments;
•    We have face coverings available if any of our clients prefers to wear one or prefer their audiologist wear one. 


Here for Everyone
We’ve continued to transform the way we care for you and your family by:
•    Providing support to all Australians including people who are not normally our clients and those who don’t qualify for government funded services;
•    Our national network of 166 Hearing Centres is still open to help service our clients and their families;
•    We’re offering full hearing assessments with one of our Hearing Specialists for $99 for any adults ineligible for Government funded services;
•    And we are making high-quality hearing aids more affordable by reducing the cost of our popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone ineligible for Government funded hearing services (these are the same hearing aids that are normally fully subsidised for those eligible for government assistance).

Supporting our clients at hearing centres, we are still:
•    Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures;
•    Minimising the number of people in the waiting room;
•    Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;
•    Offering clients the option to come into the centre or receive support remotely 


We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 

20/07/2020

To our clients and their families,

Your health and wellbeing continue to be our number one priority. We are committed to supporting all Australians during this time to make it easier for everyone to get help to stay connected to what matters most. 

Although the Victorian Government has announced Stage 3 restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, we wanted to reassure you that all our hearing centres are still open and we are here to support you. 

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to contact us if you need help with your hearing. We are caring for thousands of clients every day in our national network of hearing centres or over the phone and video-link. We are doing this safely by ensuring good hygiene practices and social distancing. As wearing a face covering becomes mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from Wednesday 22^nd July 11.59pm, our audiologists will use face shields to help stop the spread of “droplets” the same way a face mask can. Face shields are being worn to help assist those with hearing difficulties in their communication.

For our clients in the greater Melbourne area, please call your centre before going in as we may be able to assist you without you having to leave your home.

Here for Everyone
We’ve continued to transform the way we care for you and your family by:
•    Providing support to all Australians including people who are not normally our clients and those who don’t qualify for government funded services;
•    Our national network of 166 Hearing Centres is still open to help service our clients and their families;
•    We’re offering full hearing assessments with one of our Hearing Specialists for $99 for any adults ineligible for Government funded services;
•    And we are making high-quality hearing aids more affordable by reducing the cost of our popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone ineligible for Government funded hearing services (these are the same hearing aids that are normally fully subsidised for those eligible for government assistance).

Supporting our clients at hearing centres, we are still:
•    Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures;
•    Minimising the number of people in the waiting room;
•    Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;
•    Offering clients the option to come into the centre or receive support remotely 


We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 

 

08/07/2020
To our clients and their families,

Your health and wellbeing continue to be our number one priority. We are committed to supporting all Australians during this time to make it easier for everyone to get help to stay connected to what matters most. 

Although the Victorian Government has announced Stage 3 restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, we wanted to reassure you that all our hearing centres are still open and we are here to support you. 

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to contact us if you need help with your hearing. We are caring for thousands of clients every day in our national network of hearing centres or over the phone and video-link. We are doing this safely by ensuring good hygiene practices and social distancing. For our clients in the greater Melbourne area, please call your centre before going in as we may be able to assist you without you having to leave your home.

Here for Everyone
We’ve continued to transform the way we care for you and your family by:
•    Providing support to all Australians including people who are not normally our clients and those who don’t qualify for government funded services;
•    Our national network of 166 Hearing Centres is still open to help service our clients and their families;
•    We’re offering full hearing assessments with one of our Hearing Specialists for $99 for any adults ineligible for Government funded services;
•    And we are making high-quality hearing aids more affordable by reducing the cost of our popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone ineligible for Government funded hearing services (these are the same hearing aids that are normally fully subsidised for those eligible for government assistance).

Supporting our clients at hearing centres, we are still:
•    Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures;
•    Minimising the number of people in the waiting room;
•    Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;
•    Offering clients the option to come into the centre or receive support remotely 


We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 


01/07/2020

To our clients and their families,

Your health and wellbeing continue to be our number one priority. We are committed to supporting all Australians during this time to make it easier for everyone to get help to stay connected to what matters most. 

Although the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, recently announced the increase in restrictions in some areas around Victoria, we wanted to reassure you that we are still open and here to support you. 

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to contact us if you need help with your hearing. We are caring for thousands of clients every week in our national network of hearing centres or over the phone and video-link. We are doing this safely by ensuring good hygiene practices and social distancing.

Here for all Australians
We’ve continued to transform the way we care for you and your family by:

•    Providing support to all Australians including people who are not normally our clients and those who don’t qualify for government funded services;
•    Our national network of 166 Hearing Centres is still open to help service our clients and their families;
•    We’re offering full hearing assessments for $99^~ by our audiologists for any adults ineligible for Government funded services;
•    And we are making high-quality hearing aids more affordable by reducing the cost of our popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone ineligible for Government funded hearing services (these are the same hearing aids that are normally fully subsidised for those eligible for government assistance).

Supporting our clients at hearing centres, we are still:
•    Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures;
•    Minimising the number of people in the waiting room;
•    Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;
•    Offering clients the option to come into the centre or receive support remotely 

We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 

 

10/06/2020

To our clients and their families,

Your health and wellbeing continue to be our number one priority. We are committed to supporting all Australians during this time to make it easier for everyone to get help to stay connected to what matters most. 

The Prime Minister, with the support of the States and Territories, recently announced the easing of some restrictions across the country.  If you haven’t already, we encourage you to contact us if you need help with your hearing.  We are caring for thousands of clients every week in our national network of hearing centres or over the phone and video-link. We are doing this safely by ensuring good hygiene practices and social distancing.

Here for all Australians
We’ve continued to transform the way we care for you and your family by:

•    Providing support to all Australians including people who are not normally our clients and those who don’t qualify for government funded services;
•    Our national network of 166 Hearing Centres is still open to help service our clients and their families;
•    We’re offering free^ full hearing assessments by our audiologists for any adults ineligible for Government funded services until the end of June (previously $110); 
•    And we are making high-quality hearing aids more affordable by reducing the cost of our popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone ineligible for Government funded hearing services (these are the same hearing aids that are normally fully subsidised for those eligible for government assistance).

Supporting our clients at hearing centres, we are still:
•    Continuing to practice very good hygiene procedures;
•    Minimising the number of people in the waiting room;
•    Maintaining social distancing practices by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;
•    Minimising interaction with audiologist where we can.

We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 
 

<sub>^ Waived hearing test cost based on $110 half hour hearing assessment appointment (TF30). Additional services will attract fees. Offer effective 17/04/2020 until 30/06/2020.
* Price based on a pair of Signia Fundamental Range Level 1 hearing aids at $990. Price effective from 20/04/2020 until 30/06/2020. Additional services will attract fees. Please call one of your local hearing centres for more information on 134 432.</sub>

24/04/2020

To our clients and their families,
We know that now, more than ever, you’re relying on your hearing to keep you connected to the world around you. That’s why we’ve made it easier than ever for everyone to get help during this challenging time and stay connected to what matters most. We’re changed the way we care for anyone who needs hearing help.

We’re open, we’re transforming the way we care for you:
•    Here for all Australians – including those who are unable to get the help they need and those who don’t qualify for government funded services.
•    We’re here to support you – We are helping more than 10,000 clients a week, with more than half of our clinical appointments on the phone or via video and the remaining appointments in our national network of 166 hearing centres.
•    We’re offering free^ hearing assessments by our audiologists for any adult until the end of June (previous cost $110)
•    And we are offering affordable high-quality hearing aids – We have reduced the cost of our most popular Signia hearing aids from $1500 to $990* per pair for anyone who is ineligible for Government funded hearing services. 
 
We’re here to help  
We’re here for you and your loved ones. Click here to book an appointment or call 134 432 to find out how we can help.

Alternatively, you can:
•   Find your closest centre here 
•   Contact us online here 
•   Email us enquiry@hearing.com.au 

Thank you for your ongoing support and we hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and well. 



21/04/2020

To our clients and their families,

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis we have continued to provide essential hearing health services to over 10,000 of our clients every week, either in-centres with increased safeguards or increasingly over the phone.
We are here to support all Australians at this challenging time and are committed to keeping you updated on what the latest announcements mean for hearing and overall wellbeing.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister told us that the increased measures are working but we must continue to adhere to:

• Minimising trips outside – stay at home and only go out if it’s absolutely essential;

• Social distancing - maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between people;

• Limit indoor and outdoor gatherings to 2 people

In regards to your hearing health, this means we have supported all of our clinicians to be able to provide many of our traditional in-centre care appointments, remotely over the telephone. We are encouraging all clients who can be successfully supported over the telephone to be cared for in this way. Last week more than half of our appointments were conducted successfully over the telephone.

To book an appointment either call us on 134 432 or use our online booking as normal, after which we will call you to organise the best way for you to be supported.

At our Hearing Centres, we are:

• Continuing to practice good hygiene;

• Reducing our footfall by minimising the number of people in the waiting room;

• Ensuring we adhere to social distancing by providing 1.5 metres distance from other clients;

• Minimising interaction with audiologist;

• Shortening appointments by conducting parts that can be done remotely over the telephone

We have and will continue to change and adapt the way we provide services to keep our clients and our staff safe. To understand how this impacts your hearing care please see the frequently asked questions below.

The decision to keep our centres open was not made lightly, and was heavily influenced by the voice of our clients.