For relatives
Helping a parent
or partner hear
How to reach us
01632 960500Sandra answers, and works out what to book.
Mon–Fri09:00 to 17:30
Sat09:00 to 13:00
12 Market Place, Kingsmere WX5 1EP
Getting in
- Level entrance from Market Place, no steps anywhere on the ground floor
- Hearing loop at the desk and in both test rooms; we speak clearly and face you
Often the first call to Sandra is from a daughter, a son or a partner, not the person with the hearing loss. That is fine and it is common. This page is what you can do, what you cannot, and how we will work with you.
Hearing tests within a week; wax removal within three days
Free hearing tests this week
6 things worth knowing
What we will
and will
not do
Sandra will talk to a son, daughter or carer about booking and getting here. What we found in the booth is the patient's to share, not ours, unless they ask us to.
You can book the test for them
With their agreement, you can ring us, book it, come along and sit in. Sandra will speak to you about times and the practical things; the results belong to them.
'I hear fine' is normal
Most people with a gradual loss genuinely believe it is everyone else mumbling. A free test with the result on one sheet, from someone who is not family, moves the conversation on without a row.
We come to the house
If getting out is hard, Tom tests at the kitchen table on a Tuesday or Thursday, and Helen removes wax at home. Care homes are visited monthly.
Aids in a drawer
NHS aids they never got on with? Book the £45 check: we clean them, teach them slowly, and tell you honestly whether anything private would add. Half the people who book this keep their NHS aids.
We will teach you too
How to change a filter, clean a dome, put the aids in for someone whose hands are stiff, and what the whistle means. Jenny runs through it at the bench; it takes ten minutes.
Talking so they can hear
Face them, in the light, one person at a time, without shouting. Turn the television off first. It sounds obvious and it is the single most useful thing on this page.
Appointments
Where to start
The appointments that fit, with the whole price on each. Not sure? The two-minute check or a phone call sorts it.
Hearing tests
Full hearing test
A full hour with an audiologist. Free if you are 50 or over, or thinking about hearing aids.
- You leave with:
- Same day, on one sheet
- At home:
- Yes, £95
- Price
- Free
- Free if you are 50 or over, or considering hearing aids. Otherwise £65.
- How long
- 60 minutes
- Seen
- Within a week; same day if your hearing changed suddenly
Home visits
Hearing test at home
The full test at your kitchen table or in a care home, within twelve miles, including travel.
- You leave with:
- Same day
- At home:
- This is the home visit
- Price
- From £95
- Includes travel within 12 miles; care homes the same
- How long
- 75 minutes at home
- Seen
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, within two weeks
NHS advice
NHS hearing aid check and honest advice
Not getting on with your NHS aids? We clean them, check them, show you how to use them, and tell you honestly whether private would help.
- You leave with:
- Working aids or an honest answer
- At home:
- Yes, £95
- Price
- From £45
- Taken off the price if you go on to buy aids from us
- How long
- 45 minutes
- Seen
- Within a week
Home visits
Wax removal at home
Helen brings the microsuction kit to you, within twelve miles.
- You leave with:
- Clear ears on the day
- At home:
- This is the home visit
- Price
- From £125
- Both ears, includes travel; £45 if no wax needs removing
- How long
- 45 minutes at home
- Seen
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, within two weeks
Repairs & aftercare
Hearing aid repairs and servicing
Cleaning, retubing, new domes, filters and receivers while you wait; repairs sent away with a loan aid.
- You leave with:
- Usually fixed on the spot
- At home:
- Yes, £45 call-out
- Price
- From £25
- Clean and retube £25; maker's repair from £95; free on Complete and Premium care
- How long
- While you wait, or 7 to 10 days if sent away
- Seen
- Drop in any morning; Tuesday is repairs morning
Bring someone with you
Bring a relative or friend into the appointment; we encourage it. A familiar voice is the best thing to test with, and two people remember more than one.
Cannot get to Market Place?
Tom comes to you. Tuesdays and Thursdays, within two weeks; £95 for a hearing test at home, including travel.
Questions people ask
People ask
Can you talk to me about my mother's hearing?
About appointments, times, home visits and the practical side, yes, gladly. About her test results and what she should buy, only with her permission, and she will be asked plainly. Most people say yes; it is her decision.
Can I pay for them?
Yes, and many families do. The pair is still theirs, the 60-day promise is still theirs, and the aftercare is with them.
Free hearing tests this week
Call us.
01632 960500Sandra answers. Ring me if you are not sure. Working out what to book is my job, not yours.
Mon–Fri09:00 to 17:30
Sat09:00 to 13:00
Getting in
12 Market Place, Kingsmere WX5 1EP.
- Level entrance from Market Place, no steps anywhere on the ground floor
- Hearing loop at the desk and in both test rooms; we speak clearly and face you
- Large-print price list and appointment cards; everything we say is also written down for you
The rules on the wall
- Real-ear measurement on every fitting; 91% of pairs kept after the 60-day promise
- The test is free from 50, the prices are on the wall, and nobody here is paid on sales
- Independent since 2009: every maker, four levels, four years of aftercare with the same faces