Hearing test and hearing aid FAQs

Chris van Wijngaarden and Sara Caspani took over the practice in August 2025. It is family owned, independently run and not owned by a hearing aid manufacturer.

As of October 2026, a full adult hearing assessment is $240, including a report to your GP, and a 30-minute hearing screening is $100. Eligible pensioners and Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) clients are mostly covered under the Hearing Services Program, and a valid referral lets you claim a Medicare rebate on the assessment.

You only need a referral if you want to claim a Medicare rebate on your assessment. Otherwise you can book directly. If you need ongoing treatment, we let your GP know which referral you need.

We can usually see you within a week for an assessment, a review or a hearing aid problem. Urgent appointments are kept free every day for sudden hearing loss or a hearing aid that has stopped working. If your hearing drops suddenly, see a doctor straight away as well.

The first year of support and fine-tuning is included, with several reviews in the first month while you get used to the aids. After that you can come back for regular reviews, or drop in for cleaning, servicing or a repair. Loan aids are available if yours are lost or need to be sent away for repair.

Not always. If you have hearing loss in both ears, your hearing test shows whether two aids would help.

Some hearing loss can be treated, especially when the cause is in the outer or middle ear. A hearing test, followed by a visit to an ear, nose and throat specialist, will tell you whether yours can. Loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the hearing nerve cannot be cured at present, but hearing aids and other devices can help.

Not automatically. For eligible pensioners and DVA clients, the Australian Government Hearing Services Program covers most of the cost, and we can check whether you qualify. Everyone else pays privately, and a valid referral lets you claim a Medicare rebate on the assessment.

Yes, when you bring a valid referral to the appointment. The full assessment is $240 either way, and without a referral there is no rebate.

A full adult hearing assessment usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours. It covers the health of your ears, the quietest sounds you hear, and how clearly you understand speech in quiet and in noise, followed by an explanation of your results. A hearing screening takes 30 minutes.

Hearing loss often develops gradually, so the people closest to you may notice it first. Common signs include hearing that someone is speaking but missing the words, finding conversation difficult in noisy places, feeling that people mumble, and needing the television louder than other people prefer.

See a doctor straight away, because early treatment can sometimes reverse a sudden hearing loss. Please also call us. We keep urgent appointments free every day, and a hearing test shows what type of hearing loss it is. When you call, tell reception about your symptoms and any medical conditions you have.

No. The clinicians earn no commission on any make or model. If a device would help, we give you clear information and a quote, and the decision is yours. If you do not need one yet, we will tell you.

At this clinic, as of October 2026, eligible pensioners and DVA clients pay from $0 out of pocket. A private purchase is up to $5,500 per ear, including the fitting, follow-up visits, the first year of fine-tuning and support, and the charger if the aids are rechargeable.

No. Medicare does not pay for hearing aids for most adults. It pays a rebate on the hearing assessment when you have a valid referral. Funding for the devices themselves comes through the Hearing Services Program if you are an eligible pensioner or DVA client.

Every aid has a warranty of at least 3 years, and an extension to 4 years is almost always available. Private clients can add a 4-year package covering servicing, repairs and consumables. Most repairs are done in the clinic, and we can lend you hearing aids while yours are being repaired.

We use real-ear measurement at the fitting appointment to check that the sound the aid delivers in your ear canal matches your hearing test.

No. A hearing aid cannot restore natural hearing, but it gives you back access to sound, which helps you follow the people around you. How much it helps varies from person to person.

It varies from person to person. The longer the hearing loss has been present, the longer the adjustment can take, which is why we review you several times in the first month.

Lyric is a hearing aid from Phonak that is designed to be invisible. It is placed deep inside the ear canal and worn day and night for 2 to 3 months at a time, and it is fitted only by certified Lyric clinicians.

Each device usually lasts 2 to 3 months, so a new one is fitted 4 to 6 times a year, in a short visit to the clinic. Confident, experienced wearers can be trained to insert new devices themselves.

Yes. Lyric is designed to be worn 24 hours a day, including while you sleep, shower and play sport. It is water resistant but not waterproof, and it is not suitable for people who dive or skydive regularly.

Lyric is not suitable for people with chronic ear infections or severe bleeding disorders, or for people who dive or skydive regularly. Your ear canal also needs the right shape and size, which is checked at the assessment.

Lyric may suit active adults with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss, which is loss from the inner ear. It is for people who want a hearing aid others cannot see. A hearing assessment and an ear canal check decide whether it fits you.

Lyric is only available on a yearly subscription, paid monthly or upfront. It covers the replacement devices and the refit appointments you need through the year. Please call the clinic for current pricing.

Some people find that tinnitus becomes less noticeable when they can hear more of the sounds around them. Where amplification provides this benefit, Lyric may offer continuous access to sound, day and night. A tinnitus and hearing assessment is needed to determine whether Lyric is suitable. It is not a guaranteed tinnitus treatment.

Lyric is fitted only by certified Lyric clinicians, and only after we have checked your ear canal and medical history. Your clinician explains any risks that apply to you at the assessment.

A cochlear implant assessment usually takes 2 to 2.5 hours, and it is booked further ahead than other appointments. It is a fuller set of measurements than a standard hearing test, because the question is whether an implant would give you more than a hearing aid can.

Yes, cochlear implants are used by children and adults. This clinic provides cochlear implant services for children from the age of four.

The findings go to an ENT surgeon, who determines whether surgery is appropriate. After surgery, we switch on the sound processor here and program it, which means setting it to suit you, and we provide ongoing programming and support.

No. Management aims to make the sound less bothersome. Where it is severe or long-lasting, the options are discussed once the assessment has shown what kind of tinnitus it is.

Yes. Reduced hearing is one possible cause of tinnitus, and the only way to know whether it plays a part in your tinnitus is to measure your hearing. The hearing assessment is part of the tinnitus assessment, not an extra appointment.

In a small proportion of cases tinnitus arises from a condition that needs medical or surgical treatment. Tinnitus in one ear only, tinnitus that pulses in time with your heartbeat, or tinnitus with sudden hearing loss or dizziness should be checked promptly. If you lose hearing suddenly, see a doctor straight away. Where the assessment raises a concern, we refer you to your GP or an ENT specialist.

It usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours. It includes several questionnaires and a full hearing assessment, and you leave with a plan for managing your tinnitus.

They can, when tinnitus comes with a hearing loss. Sound from hearing aids or other listening devices can make tinnitus less noticeable for some people. It is one of the options discussed after the assessment, and results vary.

Your child needs to be at least four years old, and able to understand instructions and respond reliably during the test. If you are not sure your child is ready, please call reception and talk it through before you book.

No. Testing very young children uses equipment that watches how a child reacts to sound, and the clinic does not have it. Your GP can refer you to a service that tests babies and toddlers.

Common signs are not responding when spoken to, giving answers that do not fit the question, and seeming to drift out of conversations. Pressure or pain in or around the ear is also worth a check.

Most children find it easy. It is much like an adult's test: headphones, a look in the ear, and a soft probe that checks the eardrum.

It depends on the filter or model. Pacific Ears' PACS Pro filters reduce sound by about 10 to 31 decibels, and some options are certified to Class 5 under AS/NZS 1270 for very noisy workplaces. The right level depends on the noise you are in, which we talk through at the appointment.

The impression appointment is short. We send the impressions to Pacific Ears the same day, and the plugs usually arrive back at the clinic within 10 working days.

You pay the price Pacific Ears lists for the product you choose, plus our fee for taking the impressions and handling the order. Ask reception for the current impression fee.

Pacific Ears says its custom plugs have no set lifespan if you look after them. It recommends new impressions every 3 to 4 years, because the shape of the ear canal can change and affect the fit and comfort.

Yes. They are often made for children who have had grommets, tiny tubes placed in the eardrum, and need to keep water out of the ear while swimming or bathing.

Yes. We help with the administration for WorkCover WA claims. Please call first to confirm we can provide the test your employer or insurer needs.

A baseline test records an employee's hearing when they start in a noisy role, so later tests can be compared with it.

Testing is done at the clinic in Mount Hawthorn. Please call to discuss numbers and timing.

Yes. We take impressions of each employee's ears at the visit, and the Pacific Ears plugs usually arrive within 10 working days.