Hearing Aids - Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a national company or are you based
in my area?
Is it better to deal with a locally based company or a national one?
What about
other companies advertising on the internet?
How common is hearing loss?
Are all hearing aids visible, bulky, and behind the ear?
How old do I need to be before I need a hearing aid?
If I start wearing a hearing aid which amplifies sound into my ear, won't it
make the hearing worse?
What is the actual cost to me?
What about everyday running costs?
What guarantees, and what do I get for my money?
Does the hearing test hurt?
Will I be seen by a qualified person?
Do I have any rights?
Can I wear my hearing aid when I'm asleep?
Can I wash my hearing aid?
How do I know when the battery is flat?
My new hearing aid fits well but sounds "tinny"
or "bassy" why?
If I can't find the answers here or would like further
advice, how do I contact you?
Are you a national company or are you based
in my area?
We are a collective of independent locally
owned and managed hearing aid audiologists and suppliers. Each member of the
Discount Hearing Aids group lives and is based in the area they cover. We are very locally focused and take great care to supply to
areas where we know we can offer a high standard of aftercare. At present we
can provide low prices, wide choice and excellent aftercare in most of the
UK. If you are not sure whether
we cover your area please do not hesitate to
contact us and we will be very
pleased to help, even if we cannot help you ourselves we may be able to
point you in the direction of a good quality independent hearing aid
supplier more local to your area. Back
Is it better to deal with a locally based company or a national one?
Why
deal with Discount Hearing Aids instead of a national company? Three reasons - Price, Choice and
Aftercare. Compared to dealing with most of the national companies you could reduce the purchase cost of
hearing aids by 20-50%, that can equate
to a very substantial saving. Also, most of the national suppliers supply
from a very limited number of manufacturers. Hidden Hearing dispense mainly
Oticon hearing aids (the two companies are part of the same holding group), Amplivox, Sietech, Hearing Health (all part of the same group) have close
ties with GN Resound and seem to dispense mostly GN Resound hearing aids,
Ormerods at Boots are in large part funded by Phonak and mainly supply
Phonak hearing aids etc etc.
You may start to see a pattern! We
supply the full range of technology available from all these
manufacturers ; Phonak hearing aids, Oticon hearing aids, Widex hearing aids, Starkey
hearing aids, GN Resound hearing aids, Bernafon hearing aids,
Unitron hearing aids and Siemens hearing aids. This, along with
our commitment to
excellent aftercare makes us the number one choice. Back
What about
other companies advertising on the internet?
If you are reading this page you will have
more than likely found our website via a search engine. One of the main
points that distinguish us from most
of the hearing aid suppliers you might find in this way is that the
companies and individuals involved in Discount Hearing Aids
are genuinely based in the area we supply hearing aids to. The person you
deal with will live and work in your local area and will be able to look
after you properly in the coming years. The majority of the other
companies are one of two things. Either a one man band masquerading as a
national company and travelling half the country to see you (not an ideal
scenario for ongoing aftercare, which you are likely to need at some point),
or a truly national company with unfeasibly high prices. My recommendation
to you is that if you wish to enquire about hearing aids it would be
a good thing to ask 'Where is your head office' and 'How far do you have to
travel to visit me if I need you'. Back
How common is hearing loss?
You might be surprised to know that just short of 9 million people in the UK suffer some form of hearing loss,
of those around 6.5 million are over the age of 60, with quite a sizeable
percentage younger. Over 70% of the population over the age of 70 have at
least a degree of hearing loss. It is believed that around 4 million people
in this country could benefit from wearing hearing aids but have not yet
done anything about it! An astounding set of facts. Back
Are all hearing aids visible, bulky, and behind the ear?
Not at all! As modern technology has improved, hearing instruments have progressed and are also
getting smaller and more sophisticated. If this fact is coupled with the fact
that the old stigmas associated with the hearing impaired are disappearing fast,
more people than ever are turning to professional help to improve their quality
of life. Back
How old do I need to be before I need a hearing aid?
The largest percentage of hearing loss can be attributed to the
ageing process, but we regularly see clients in their 40's and 50's whose
hearing has been damaged due to exposure to excessive noise levels and need
a little help to hear clearly. We also see people quite regularly who have
had hearing problems from early childhood. If you are having problems with
your hearing it is a good idea at the very least to ask us for a free
hearing check to put your mind at ease. Back
If I start wearing a hearing aid which amplifies sound into my ear, won't it
make the hearing worse?
In a word, no. Your hearing will remain the
same regardless of whether or not you wear hearing aids, although once you
start to hear better your expectations of how well you should hear are
higher, so you notice more when you are not wearing any aids. If you find
loud sounds are being made uncomfortably loud you just need to ask for an
adjustment and we can reprogram your hearing aids instantly to avoid the
problem. Back
What is the actual cost to me?
Prices vary depending on size and type of hearing aid and level of
technology. You can buy cheap amplifiers from newspaper advertisements for
less than £20 and some companies advertise very basic technology from around
£200 or so. For the better quality digital hearing aids
we can dispense from £495 a pair upwards, although most people tend to pay more.
We try to supply hearing aids to all budgets and requirements. Back
What about everyday running costs?
The main ongoing cost is batteries with a typical cost of 40p
to 60p depending on whether you buy them from us or the high street! Each battery is usually spent in 1 to 3 weeks,
depending on the size of the battery and the level of hearing loss. The other
main cost is repairs out of warranty. If your aid needs attention, even if it's
out of warranty, and we can fix it, there is no charge to you. A
charge is incurred if the aid is out of warranty and the aid needs to be sent
back to the manufacturers for attention. Back
What guarantees, and what do I get for my money?
You get an individual assessment of your hearing loss, individual hearing
instruments custom built to the exact shape of your ear and matching closely to
your prescription, the
professional hearing aid audiologist's time, patience and experience in helping you to
rehabilitate. The guarantees vary from company to company, but we offer a minimum warranty of two years from date of fitting.
This can be extended at the outset or at the point your warranty runs out. All
members of Discount Hearing Aids offer a 60 day money back guarantee. This
means that if you are unhappy with the instrument and we cannot resolve the
problems for you we will refund your money less a fitting fee of £50. There is also the free back up service once you
become our client. Back
Does the hearing test hurt?
Not at all. After we have asked you some important background
questions about your hearing we take a look in your ear canals to check for
excessive wax or any other problems that might affect your hearing or
general health. We then use an
audiometer to measure your hearing loss through headphones and bone
conduction generators worn like a headband. The whole process should be painless, comfortable and reassuring. If you are relaxed the readings will be more accurate.
Back
Will I be seen by a qualified person?
All
the dispensers involved in 'Discount Hearing Aids' are
Registered Hearing Aid
Dispensers, registration is compulsory under the Hearing Aid Council Act 1968.
We pride ourselves on our professionalism and
integrity and are always looking at new technology to be able to offer our
clients the best we can, with the best value and a high level of service. It is
very important to us that you the customer feel completely confident and
motivated towards improving your hearing. Back
Do I have any rights?
It is illegal for any home visits to be made unsolicited. You cannot be visited
in your home unless you have agreed to or requested a visit.
Only dispensers registered under the Hearing Aid Council Act 1968 are allowed to
dispense hearing aids after a long training period and both theory and practical
examinations passed. A registered dispenser will be only too happy to show you
his registration card on request.
Your terms are laid out on the paperwork we supply to you, and are in full
compliance and support the Hearing Aid Council codes of conduct. Under the
Hearing Aid Council Act 1968 your rights are laid down, together with the sale
of goods, consumer protection and trades description acts; your rights are well
protected. As an aside we pride ourselves on our friendly helpful
service, which is hoped will lead to repeat and recommendation business.
Back
Can I wear my hearing aid when I'm asleep?
In general no, but it is possible to "nod off" in the chair whilst watching TV
without too much problem. It is better when you
climb into bed (or before the shower/bath) to remove your hearing aids. Your
hearing aids are better left
open when not wearing them to allow any moisture built up during the day
evaporate overnight.
Back
Can I wash my hearing aid?
Not a good idea! Water and electronic components do not mix at all well, and the
warranty does not cover this type of eventuality. If your hearing aid is
subjected to excessive moisture or is accidentally submerged in water and
stops working, sometimes a period of slow drying out over a couple of days
in a warm dry environment can bring a hearing aid back to life. Otherwise
the hearing aid might need to go back to the manufacturers to be mended. Of
course we can show you how
to clean your hearing aid and are on hand for further advice if any problems arise.
Back
How do I know when the battery is flat?
Hearing aid batteries are designed specifically to run at full output and then
stop working pretty much instantly, unlike a torch battery that gradually grows dimmer.
All our
digital hearing aids have a useful feature that gives you an audible tone to
let you know when the battery is nearly spent. For a small
charge we can also supply a battery tester so you can see for yourself how much power
a battery has left. Speak to your local hearing aid audiologist. Back
My new hearing aid fits well but sounds "tinny" or "bassy"
Why?
Often this is because hearing aids are helping you to hear
types of sounds at levels you have not heard for a long time and it takes time for your hearing and brain
to get used to hearing differently. Quite often we tone down the response of
hearing aids initially to give you time to get used to them, and at a
later date adjust the response closer to the optimum level to give best
benefit. It can often be a matter of choice and
persistence. Back
