HEARING CARE

"When I first discussed the situation with Kevin Jeffery of Help in Hearing, he suggested the Phonak Audéo V hearing aid solution and to my delight, not only was the technology discreet - which was ideal for me - I found it assisted my hearing to a level that made me feel confident again in all situations." When Jess Conrad found it difficult to hear what people were saying in social situations and at professional speaking engagements, he turned to Help in Hearing. It was important for Jess to restore his hearing levels with invisible hearing aids and Principal Audiologist Kevin Jeffery fitted Phonak's Audéo V, Phonak's most technological advanced digital hearing aid available today. With over 50 years in showbusiness, Jess is still active as an after dinner speaking guest, appearing regularly in concert with other 60s legends, and continues to be involved in both film and TV work. With such an active public schedule it is crucial for Jess to hear as clearly as possible. The choice of Phonak's Audéo V provides a solution that is both discreet and capable of adapting and delivering excellent sound in all situations.

"When I first discussed the situation with Kevin Jeffery of Help in Hearing, he suggested the Phonak Audéo V hearing aid solution and to my delight, not only was the technology discreet - which was ideal for me - I found it assisted my hearing to a level that made me feel confident again in all situations." Jess Conrad

Jess is tireless in his charity work as a member of the Freemasons (Chelsea Lodge) and is past King Rat of the Grand Order of Water Rats, an exclusive fraternity of showbusiness performers and he was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to charity in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours. The Phonak Audéo V is a Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) hearing aid, making it highly discreet and covers a broad range of hearing levels which adapt to match personal situations. The aid features four key technology advances: The hearing aids also include a range of technical controls to connect them to various devices including mobile phones, DECT home phones and TVs controlled by a mobile phone app. "The Phonak Audéo V is a further technological step that provides hearing solutions that adapt to people's environments to ensure that the wearer can hear as clearly as is possible," said Kevin Jeffery. "The technology along with its discreet fitting and powerful processing is proving to be very successful." Find out more about the Phonak Audéo V hearing aid here.

Just a few lines to explain what a difference my life has been since receiving my new hearing aids. I am a much more confident person in my workplace and socially. My friends and family have said what a difference they have seen in me; I join conversations whereas before I would just smile and nod and hope that I was giving the right facial expressions. I felt it far less embarrassing to shy away than to ask people to repeat themselves.

I would also like to say a big thank you to yourself, Kevin and Marguerite for your friendly approach. Your professionalism is outstanding.

After a couple of hours, just brilliant! A few first impressions:

♦ Thought there was something wrong with the tyres - then realised I hadn't heard them before.

♦ Never realised a symphony orchestra had so many different instruments. Mahler 1 in a completely different light.

♦ Hadn't realised the clock in my study ticked.

Many thanks and look forward to my revisit on 30 November. David Hillyard, fitted with Oticon Opn hearing aid.

My new hearing aids have magical properties on a par with Harry Potter's "Nimbus 2000". They have brought the skylarks back to our fields, allowed me to identify all four instruments in a string quartet; they stopped my wife shouting at me to turn the TV down and my 4 daughters from calling me a deaf old git.

None of this would have been achieved without your expert analysis and follow-up sessions, all done with charm and good humour and the ability to explain the high-tech solutions in language that even this dinosaur found readily intelligible.

Yes, the solution was expensive but, compared with the foreign holiday foregone, a bargain.

With many thanks and best wishes.

I'm writing to let you know how my improved hearing has changed my world.

The complete assessment of my hearing using your state of the art equipment was very interesting, because I was able to view images and with your commentary, understand the problem.

When, knowing what was required to effect major improvement, you made a recommendation and the end result was that I had a pair of aids fitted which are efficient and easy to wear.

The improvement in my hearing has been quite surprising because I now realise how much it had deteriorated. Most of the tell-tale signs have now gone and examples of benefit are - clear reception of bird song, improved appreciation of orchestral instruments, conversation in a group, hearing the phone ring and when I listen to radio or watch TV, sound requires no increased volume.

So thank you for enabling me to join in conversations and to properly enjoy the sounds of the world around me again.

I have held for a long time the view that when seeking satisfactory professional services it is necessary to find somebody in whom you can put your complete trust, and for a long time now I have had an unreserved confidence in your technical competence and professional judgement.

Even so, I doubt whether I would have believed you, had you told my new hearing aids would make the dramatic improvement in my hearing that they have. Their performance is truly amazing.

I can listen again to music which now has meaning without continual adjustment of the volume control so that I can enjoy the full dynamic range and with a tonal quality enabling each instrument to be distinguished clearly.

These factors must, however, pale into insignificance when considered against the main use of hearing, communication. It is impossible for those not affected by a hearing disability to understand how isolated one can become. For me, just talking to one other person in crowded areas often became impossible.

I was finding I could not even participate in the conversation of seven or eight round a table in a restaurant and even at home. With these aids all the above are now possible and I find I can now converse with a group even in a very noisy bar.

Of course, with instruments of this nature it is impossible to disassociate the articles themselves from the necessary attendant services which, in this case, as I have come to expect, has been exemplary.

First, there was the care and consideration that went into selecting this particular type. I had not realised there were so many different manufacturers let alone the vast number of aids produced by them.

Secondly, there was the after-sale service. No effort has been spared to ensure that mine have been adjusted to give me a maximum possible benefit.

I cannot thank you enough for the tremendous improvement you have made to the quality of not only my life but also to the lives of those close to me.

I have been using my Oticon hearing aids for several months and feel so pleased with them I am obliged to put pen to paper. When you recommended these initially I had some misgivings, having used “in the ear” aids for many years.

The experience of these now is something else, dinners, theatre, opera, music have now become a pleasure. Previous to using these whilst there was enjoyment I was rarely able to join in conversation, I often did not have a clue what the topic was.

It would be incorrect to say Oticon has given me natural hearing ability because I long ago lost the ability to hear naturally. However, for me they have come a long way to achieving this. The great thing in my experience they have greatly reduced much of the background noise and unwanted sounds which previously my hearing aids picked up drowning out what I really wanted to hear.

I am delighted with them and whilst expensive in my experience represent true value for money and help greatly forward full enjoyment and pleasure in life.

I am writing to say how delighted I am with my new hearing aids. As you know, I have been using digital hearing aids for over ten years and during that time there have been no significant developments until now.

Firstly, they are extremely comfortable in the ear and once in they remain in all day without any discomfort. Secondly, the quality of sound is much better. I am hearing speech and sounds more clearly and background noise is less apparent than before. In fact in all the areas where I was seeking an improvement the aids have come up trumps.

Now, add to this the Bluetooth technology and we have the wow factor. Amazingly, the streamer enables me to answer the phone remotely, without having to hold it to my ear (with all the associated distortions), resulting in pure sound.

The ability to stream sound wirelessly, directly into my hearing aids, is nothing short of a miracle.

I can listen to music, speak on the telephone and still be aware of ambient sound.

As for the price I would say to anyone that this is an investment over the long term and as such represents excellent value for money.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your professional, caring and prompt attention to my hearing problems. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services to anyone and to say to them:

"if you have any degree of hearing loss don't hang around, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by seeing a specialist sooner rather than later and Help in Hearing are the best."

Well done to you and well done to Oticon for this innovative and truly fabulous product.