Office Hours

We are open from 9:30 to 5:30 Monday through Friday.

Availability of appointments

Typically, we are able to see you in for an adjustment the same day that you phone for an appointment. Although it is always best to book an appointment ahead of time, we will accommodate all unscheduled visits to our clinics.

Qualifications

Our audiologists have on average 6 years of university level education in addition to years of clinical practice.

Testing fees

Our testing fee of $50.00 is waived for folks 45 and over.

Cost of hearing aids

Prices start at $1300.00 per aid. There is no tax on hearing aids.

Methods of Payment

We do not require a deposit on new orders. We require full payment at the time of the fitting. However, we do offer flexible and convenient payment plan options.

Included items with new purchase

Hearing aid batteries, travel case, cleaning tools, instruction and , repair and loss and damage warranties, free annual hearing evaluations and a standard 90 day risk free evaluation period (see our value promise).

Follow-up care

Standard one week follow-up appointments and a 24 hour phone follow up to ensure successful use with new instruments. We will continue to see you as often as we need to ensure success.

Return policy

Satisfaction with the hearing aids and our service is guaranteed. We work hard toward that end and as such, we offer a standard 90 day full money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the hearing aids or our services.

Loss & Damage warranty

A standard one year warranty is included with all new hearing aids.

Repair warranty

A standard 2 year repair warranty is included with all new hearing aids

Loaner availability

If in the unlikely event that your hearing aid will require repair, we have loaners available during the time that your hearing aid is out for repair.

Online Purchases

Beware of purchasing hearing aids online, or offers that seem to good to be true. It takes a highly trained Audiologist to precisely fit hearing aids according to your individual needs and it often takes several visits to achieve optimal hearing.

DEGREE OF HEARING LOSS

The severity of your hearing loss is the most important factor to consider in the hearing aid selection process. A severe hearing loss, for example, requires more volume gain than a moderate hearing loss. If considerable volume gain is needed, feedback (whistling) becomes an issue. Feedback happens when sound from the speaker “leaks” into the microphone. This leakage causes a high pitch squeal or whistle. The greater the distance between the speaker and the microphone, (i.e., the larger the hearing aid), the less likely you are to have feedback. That is, IF CONSIDERABLE VOLUME GAIN IS NEEDED, larger hearing aids are less likely to cause feedback.

COSMETICS

For some people, visibility is an important issue. If it bothers you that people can see that you are wearing hearing aids, you should communicate this to your audiologist during the hearing aid selection process. This is a serious consideration, as consistent usage is one of the most important keys to success. If you wear your hearing aids consistently, you are more likely to be successful with them. If you like the way your hearing aids look, you will, in all likelihood, wear them more often. In general, the CIC style is the least visible of all hearing aid styles. It fits completely within the ear canal, and has a small removal line. If your ear canal is too small to accommodate a CIC, a MTC or ITC may be more appropriate. In general, larger hearing aids have the largest vent size. The BTE and ITE styles have the largest vent sizes.

VENTING

A vent is a small hole which passes through the hearing aid, allowing for air exchange between the ear canal and the outside environment. More air can pass through a bigger vent. If your ears often feel “plugged”, venting may be an issue for you. If this is the case, a larger hearing aid with the acapacity for a larger vent may be the better option. However, larger vents also mean greater chance of feedback depending on the degree of loss. Your Audiologist will work to balance these two factors in order to reduce the plugged feeling and eliminate feedback.

WIND NOISE

When wind passes over a hearing aid microphone, it makes a rumbling sound which we call wind noise. Wind noise can be minimized by gluing a windscreen overtop the microphone. In general, the more exposed the microphone is, the more wind noise there will be. The CIC and BTE styles have the least amount of wind noise.

TELEPHONE USE

With most hearing aid styles (the CIC is an exception), when the telephone is placed on the ear, it will cause a whistling sound (feedback). If there is room on the hearing aid, a telephone switch can be installed which will prevent the hearing aid from whistling. A telephone switch is a $100.00 option. If there is not enough room for a telephone switch, a foam pad can be placed on the telephone receiver. Foam pads are not portable, however. Telephone switches are available on BTE, ITE, and HS styles. CIC’s sit far enough in the ear that feedback is usually not a problem, so a telephone switch is not required.

VALUE/PRICE

Smaller hearing aids (CIC’s, ITC’s) are the most expensive because they are more labour intensive to make. In general, smaller hearing aids are repaired more often as well. All in house repairs are covered for the life of the hearing aids. If your hearing aids need to go back to the manufacturer, they will be covered in the first two years. At the 4 year mark, the average hearing aid is repaired 1-2 times a year. BTE’s have the best price/value relationship. They are least often repaired and have the longest lifespan of all hearing aid styles.

COMFORT

All styles should be comfortable to wear. Sometimes adjustments to the fit of the hearing aids are required; the final outcome should be comfortable hearing aids. It may take several visits to your Audiologist to resolve this issue. Your audiologist will work toward ensuring the most comfortable fit possible, regardless of the style of aid.

BATTERY LIFE

Larger batteries have the longest battery life. If you have a larger battery, you will spend less on batteries because you will have to replace them less often. However, as digital circuits continue to advance, even the smallest batteries are seeing longer lifespans. The BTE and ITE styles have the largest battery size.