Australian Government Hearing Services Program

 The Office of Hearing Services (OHS) was created in 1997 to manage the delivery of hearing services to eligible clients.
The main features of the OHS scheme were to allow clients choice of provider and choice of instrument, including the right to invest in a Top Up instrument.
Please refer to the information provided with your voucher for complete details of the scheme.
You can find the OHS website at www.health.gov.au/hear/.

 Who is eligible?
You are eligible for a hearing services Voucher if you are an Australian Citizen or permanent resident 21 years or older and you are:

• A Pension Concession Card holder.
• Receiving a Sickness Allowance from Centrelink.
• The holder of a Gold Repatriation Card issued for all conditions.
• The holder of a White Repatriation Card issued for conditions that include hearing loss.
• A dependant of a person in one of the above categories.
• A member of the Australian Defence Force.
• Undergoing a vocational rehabilitation program with CRS Australia and are referred by their case manager.
• Voucher holders may obtain free hearing services from a panel of accredited providers.

Hearing services include a hearing assessment and fitting of high quality free hearing instruments.
In certain circumstances, clients may obtain an alternative listening device in lieu of a hearing aid fitting.
For those clients unable to benefit from a hearing aid or alternative listening device an individual rehabilitation program may be offered.
You are eligible to receive other declared hearing services if you are an Australian Citizen or permanent resident and you are younger than 21 years. Or, an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander who is over 50 years or a participant in a Community Development Employment Projects Program. 

“Top up” arrangements

 An important advantage of the OHS scheme is the right of all clients to enter into a top up arrangement with their provider.
This allows you to choose a device that has additional features over and above those available in the free device. The main features of Top Up devices that may be of benefit to you are:

1. Completely in the canal style.

2. Noise and Comfort features in custom devices inclusive of:

• Feedback Managers or Cancellers
• Fixed and Adaptive Directional Microphones
• Multiple Memories
• Automatic Noise reduction
• Remote Controls
• Data logging
• Data learning

To obtain a Top Up device an investment of your own funds to cover the additional cost may be required.
Our confidence in your satisfaction is such that we offer a money back guarantee on Top Up devices.
In every case our safety net allows you to return your hearing instruments, undamaged and in working order, within 30 days of the first fitting. Any test fee which may have been paid will be retained.
Your audiologist will have discussed the features available in the free and Top Up devices that may be suitable for your particular situation or personal preferences.
It is recommended you seriously consider your personal circumstances and how these additional features and functions may enhance your overall quality of life.

How may a Top Up device benefit the wearer?

 Previously we have discussed the various features and functions contained within a hearing instrument. It is important if you are contemplating a top up purchase to appreciate how the features may benefit you in everyday life. Understand first that hearing devices offered by hearing aid manufacturers come in “families”, each with a particular set of features, much like in a motor vehicle.

 Non standard devices
There exist a range of devices that are intended for clients with special needs not covered by devices on the ‘free to client’ listings.
Your audiologist will discuss this range of devices should your clinical and personal circumstances indicate their appropriateness. These are generally intended to overcome unusual technical or medical issues such as a unilateral dead ear or for a discharging ear.

 
Alternative listening devices
These may be fitted in lieu of a hearing aid and are intended for individuals with a specific listening need and who are not suitable for a more usual hearing aid fitting.

In particular this may be someone who cannot manage a hearing aid and a “headphone” style device may be more appropriate. Alternatively a specific need for assistance with television viewing via non hearing aid device may be considered.

Your audiologist can discuss these possibilities should your circumstances seem appropriate. In general, whenever possible, a hearing aid fitting is preferred due to its more general applicability.

Getting used to your hearing aids

 No matter what style or technology level of hearing aid you decide upon, there will be an initial period of adjustment to your hearing aids.
Immediate results are not always noticed and the sounds you hear will not seem to resemble those you heard when you had ‘natural’ hearing.
The naturalness comes when you realise you are back in the swing of things again, participating in and contributing to daily activities. As your ears have been deprived of full stimulation it takes a period of time for them to acclimatise to a flood of additional sounds.
‘Practice makes perfect.’ This is a very true statement for most things in life and especially so for hearing aids. The more you wear the aids the more sounds you will hear, which will become a part of everyday life.
Remember you must do this gradually. Good results will occur with regular use, great results may take a little longer.
It is important to remember that you have been deprived of the full spectrum of sound for some time and you may initially be surprised at the sounds of your environment.
Over time you will relearn how to focus on aspects of your environment and enjoy all that you can hear.
You may have forgotten how noisy turning the page of a newspaper can be, that the indicators in your car actually ‘work’ or that you suddenly have a lot of dripping taps and squeaky doors!
Those of us with normal hearing hear these things as well and can cope. You too can learn to readjust to the sounds of life.