Hearing tests at home in Bournemouth and the surrounding areas
Do you live in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch or the surrounding Dorset & Hampshire area? If so and you’re looking for a hearing test with a home visit service, Key to Hearing can help.
Hearing evaluations in the comfort of your own home
If you’re concerned about your hearing, or simply want to book your next hearing test, Bournemouth’s Key to Hearing will visit you at home to carry out a hearing consultation and ear health check. Keeley Salmon, our award-winning audiologist, will take the time to fully understand your concerns and evaluate your hearing range, before discussing potential solutions.
Our service is ideal if you’re looking for a hearing care service that comes to you. Instead of taking the time and trouble to visit a high street clinic, Keeley will visit you in the privacy of your own home. In our experience, this makes people feel more comfortable about discussing their hearing problems openly. In turn, this makes it easier for us to identify and explain how we can help.
Why hearing check-ups are important
Did you know that around 1 in 6 people in the UK have some degree of hearing loss, most of whom are aged 60 or over? But despite 6.7 million people potentially benefiting from using hearing aids, only 2 million do so at present*.
Taking care of your ears is important, as research shows that untreated hearing loss is directly linked to an increased likelihood of developing dementia, as well as a wide range of physical problems. For older people in particular, other issues can include feelings of isolation, loss of independence and reduced quality of life.
At Key to Hearing, we don’t want any of these things to happen to you. So, just like you’d visit the dentist or optician on a routine basis, having regular hearing tests is very important. As well as helping you enjoy the best hearing range you possibly can, we’ll also offer you expert advice on general ear health, hearing aids and looking after your ears.
* Source: Hearinglink.org.uk.
Signs you might have hearing loss
You don’t need to wait until you develop noticeable hearing problems to book a hearing assessment with us. If you’re over 50, we recommend you have an ear and hearing check every two years. However, if you notice any of the signs below, we recommend you book a home visit with Key to Hearing straightaway.
You can’t hear the TV or radio comfortably
You frequently ask people to speak up or repeat themselves
You can’t hear clearly when background noise is present, e.g. traffic
You find talking on the phone difficult
It’s hard to follow conversations and/or you feel people are mumbling
You can’t pinpoint where sounds are coming from
Friends or family have hinted you may be struggling to hear
Important note
If your hearing loss has come on suddenly, comes and goes, or affects one ear more than the other, we recommend you visit your GP.
Why choose Key to Hearing for your hearing check-up?
Bournemouth-based Key to Hearing are your local domiciliary hearing care specialists. As a friendly, independent business, we can offer you a highly personal service and access to hearing aid technologies from leading manufacturers. Our bespoke service is based around meeting your individual hearing and ear health needs, with a focus on your individual preferences and lifestyle.
Key to Hearing is led by award-winning Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser, Keeley Salmon. With over 17 years’ experience, Keeley has helped hundreds of clients in the local Dorset and Hampshire area improve their hearing and make the most of life’s precious moments with friends and family. Working alongside her husband, Will, Keeley takes pride in the professional and high quality service that Key to Hearing provides.
Great value and service you can trust
Your initial consultation and evaluation will cost £83 if you live within a 15 mile radius of Bournemouth. We believe this represents great value for money for a 1 ½ to 2 ½ hour appointment, which will be completely focused on your personal needs. Depending on the outcome of the testing process, Keeley will discuss suitable options for improving your hearing. However, there is no obligation to proceed with our services’.
Your hearing evaluation appointment – what to expect
If you’ve never had your hearing checked before, you might feel a bit apprehensive. But there’s nothing to worry about. The process is completely painless, and Keeley will talk you through what will happen before your hearing test starts. Here’s what to expect:
1. Introductory chat
Before starting your evaluation, Keeley will take the time to get to know you and ask about your hearing and general ear health. It’s your opportunity to discuss any concerns you might have about your hearing, the different situations where you’re finding it hard to hear and how you feel generally about your hearing. Keeley will also ask about your medical history and any conditions or issues you’ve experienced that may be relevant, as hearing loss can be caused by a variety of factors. For example, allergies, head colds, head injuries, impacted earwax, exposure to loud environments and genetic factors can all affect your hearing in different ways. You should also mention any related conditions such as tinnitus.
2. Ear health check
Using a hand-held magnifying lens called an Otoscope, Keeley will perform a visual inspection of your ear canal. This helps to identify wax build-up, signs of damage or infection, or other medical conditions that are either affect your hearing or mean the hearing test shouldn’t take place. (For certain problems, we might recommend visiting your GP who may refer you to an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist at your local hospital.)
3. Your hearing test
Keeley will fit you with a pair of comfortable headphones and use a device called an audiometer to play a series of tones into each of your ears. You’ll be asked to press a button every time you hear a tone, even if it’s very faint. This helps Keeley understand how well you can hear different pitches (frequencies) and levels (volumes) of sound. We’ll also check your listening comfort and understanding of different noises. This is done by playing a series of words and conversations at various frequencies and volumes, and with varying levels of intensity and background noise. Keeley will use the results to assess the level at which you start struggling to understand speech, and how well you can hear in busy everyday environments.
“We use ‘in the ear’ headphones with foam ear-tips that help block out ambient noise, reducing distractions and making sure your test results are accurate. These headphones are more comfortable than the traditional ‘over the head’ ear cups used in many high street clinics, and are also more hygienic as the foam ear-tips are single-use. If necessary, we’ll test the level of ambient noise in your home before starting your assessment, to make sure it’s below acceptable levels” - About our headphones
4. Your results
Your results will be plotted on a chart called an audiogram. As shown in the example below, the results for each ear will be shown separately as hearing levels will often be different on the left and right hand sides. Your results will be shown in decibels of hearing threshold (dB HL).
Keeley will then tell you which grade of hearing loss you have, in line with these definitions:
Normal (0 to 25 dB HL)
Mild (26 to 40 dB HL)
Moderate (41 to 70 dB HL)
Severe (71 to 90 dB HL)
Profound (more than 91 dB HL)
5. Next Steps
Keeley will discuss your results with you, explain the sounds you’re missing out on and talk you through your options for managing and improving your hearing loss. This normally involves recommending hearing aids, which we can supply, fit and program for you.
Keeley can arrange a demonstration of suitable models if you like, to help you make the right choice. You can learn more about our range of hearing care services and devices on our Home page.
What our clients say about our award-winning service
We’re proud of our 100% record of 5 star reviews. Many of these reviews focus on our home visits and highly bespoke personal service that we believe can’t be matched by national high street providers. Here’s just a small selection of the comments we’ve received.
"A luxury which I truly appreciate..."
“To have all this carried out in the privacy & comfort of my home is a luxury which I truly appreciate. Keeley's commitment ensures patients like me enjoy the best possible quality of life through better hearing.”
Cyril Woolfstein from Bournemouth
"I have my hearing back..."
“First and foremost the one to one service I have received has been a joy and the result being I have my hearing back. My friends are now accepting my company especially socially and I am enjoying life.”
Ira Rogers from Bournemouth
"My life has improved..."
I have been most impressed with all you have done for my hearing. Before I got my hearing aids, I was forever telling my wife that I couldn’t hear what she was saying. You have been so friendly and helpful. You have always been happy to answer my lengthy list of questions. I like the invisibility of my hearing aids. My son never noticed them until I pointed them out!! I feel my life has improved”.
Tim Armstead from Wareham
Book your hearing check-up home visit today
Contact Bournemouth based Key to Hearing today and take your first steps towards a better quality of life. Don’t suffer in silence. We can help you regain your confidence in work and social situations, enjoy a renewed sense of well-being, and cope more easily with everyday tasks and spending time with friends and family. Contact us today and let’s make your hearing the best it can possibly be.