If a hearing aid is the right step, the next question is which one. Because we are independent and not tied to any manufacturer, we choose from across the major brands, including Signia, Phonak, Starkey and Oticon, based on what suits your hearing, your lifestyle and your budget. You are not steered toward one company’s products because of a supply agreement. The recommendation is ours, made for you. We fit hearing aids at all three of our Northern Rivers clinics in Casino, Woodburn and Alstonville.
Get in touch and we will find you a time that suits at your local clinic.
Modern hearing aids are smaller and more discreet than many people expect. They broadly fall into behind-the-ear styles, which sit behind the ear with a thin tube or wire into the canal, and in-the-ear styles, which are custom-made to sit within the ear itself. Which suits you depends on your hearing, the shape of your ear, how much you value discretion, and how easily you manage small devices by hand. Many current aids also connect to your phone or television by Bluetooth and recharge overnight rather than running on disposable batteries. We walk you through the options that genuinely fit your needs rather than presenting the most expensive one as the default.
Northern Rivers Audiology is a registered provider under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. If you are an eligible pensioner or veteran, the program covers your hearing assessment and a range of quality hearing aids that are fully subsidised, meaning no cost to you. These devices are high quality and suit most people’s needs well. If you would like a device with extra features, you can choose a partially subsidised option and pay only the difference. Many people are eligible without realising it, so if you are not sure, call us and we will help you work out whether you qualify and what is covered.
Some hearing aids work best with a custom ear mould, shaped precisely to your ear for a secure, comfortable fit and better sound. We take an impression of your ear and have the mould made to match. Custom moulds are also used for other fitted ear products, and we will advise when one is the right choice for you.
Fitting a hearing aid is not a single appointment and a handshake. After your assessment, we select and fit the device, then fine-tune it to your hearing. We follow up to adjust the settings as you get used to it, because hearing aids almost always need tuning once you are wearing them in real life rather than in the clinic. We also help with cleaning, servicing and minor repairs, and show you how to look after your device at home, including managing wax build-up, which is the most common reason aids stop performing. If something is not right, you have a local audiologist to bring it to rather than posting it away to a call centre.
We have no sales targets. That means there is no pressure on us to fit a more expensive device, or to fit a device at all when a simpler solution would do. Our recommendation reflects what will help you, and nothing else.
If you are an eligible pensioner or veteran, the Hearing Services Program fully subsidises a range of quality hearing aids at no cost to you. Devices with extra features are partially subsidised, where you pay only the difference. Call us and we will help you find out what you qualify for.
Eligibility generally covers pensioners, veterans and some other groups. Many people qualify without realising it. The easiest way to find out is to call us, and we will help you check.
Because we are independent, we fit from across the major manufacturers, including Signia, Phonak, Starkey and Oticon. We choose based on your hearing and your budget, not a supply agreement.
Yes. A hearing assessment tells us whether a hearing aid will help and, if so, what kind. It is the starting point for a proper fitting.
Most hearing aids last around five years with good care. We help with cleaning, servicing and minor repairs to keep yours working well for as long as possible.
They take some adjustment. We fine-tune the settings after fitting and follow up as you get used to them, because aids almost always need tuning once you are wearing them in real life rather than in the clinic.
That is fine, and worth an honest conversation. Because we are independent with no sales targets, if you do not need aids we will tell you. An assessment is the best place to start.
We fit hearing aids at all three clinics: Casino, at Riverside Family Practice on Richmond Street; Woodburn, at the Woodburn Health Clinic on Richmond Street; and Alstonville, on Main Street (access via Daley Street). You can read more about each location, including how to book, on our Casino, Woodburn and Alstonville pages.
