The pleasure of hearing

Mar 13 2009 by Jackie Grant, Dumfries Standard Friday

THREE years after taking the plunge and opening his own family business, Dumfries audiologist John Fitzsimmons is delighted that the success of the town's first dedicated, private, fully independent hearing centre means that he now has to expand.

Later this year Dumfries Hearing Centre will be starting a joint venture with another family-owned business and will be opening a new shop in Glasgow. Dumfries Hearing Centre, at 184-186 St Michael’s Street, is a fully independent audiological practice providing a complete range of services. Its emphasis is on hearing aid consultations and fittings, audiological diagnostics and hearing conservation.

John's wife Victoria is the company secretary of Dumfries Hearing Centre and the couple are now advertising for a receptionist to help them as they expand the business.

Having worked for 16 years as an audiologist within the NHS and the private sector, John's experience has contributed to his business flourishing. As well as offering consultations, hearing tests and hearing aid trials at the centre, John often travels to visit clients in their homes.

John said: "The business has really taken off, which is great! We are open Monday to Friday and on Saturday, by appointment. However, I always try to be available for appointments any time a client needs to see me.

“Dumfries Hearing Centre provides an unusual approach to helping its clients get the best solution. All consultations, hearing tests and 30-day hearing aid trials are provided completely free of charge. Unlike many national chains you will not have to part with any money or place a non-returnable deposit until you are completely satisfied with the hearing aids. If you decide to purchase the hearing aids you will then get aftercare and adjustments to the hearing aid for as long as you have the own them. All you have to do is get on with the business of hearing!"

John added: "Even if you bought your hearing aids somewhere else I would still be happy to see you, offer advice or adjust the hearing aids to try and make improvements, free of charge. I do enjoy working with clients and I have a very varied client base, for example, I have client's who live as far away as London and Inverness. The age range of my clients is also large, the youngest is 22 and the oldest is 101.”

Unlike many of the large national chains Dumfries Hearing Centre is able to offer hearing aids from any manufacturer as they have no ties to any particular one. They are truly independent and can offer completely unbiased advice on which hearing aids will be best for you.

Having fitted thousands of hearing aids you can be assured you will be getting the highest level of knowledge and expertise when your hearing aids are being fitted.

Dumfries Hearing Centre is also now able to offer the world's first holistic hearing solution, the Widex Mind440. Mind 440 is the first hearing aid to offer a dedicated relaxation programme from which soothing sounds can be played to aid stress relief. These tones have also proven to help some clients that are troubled by tinnitus. Being able to control the sound makes it easier for sufferers to cope with their troublesome tinnitus.

What are hearing aid wearers actually saying about their Mind 440 experience?

Caroline is a teacher of the deaf and has lived with a hearing impairment all her life. Previously fitted with Widex Inteo hearing aids, she is highly qualified to describe the benefits of the latest hearing technology for herself while being conscious of its potential benefits for others with a loss.

Caroline was recently fitted with the latest top of the range Widex Mind440 hearing aids which feature a groundbreaking approach to beating stress and tension.

She said: "I'm loving them. The first time I put them on it was like ... whoooa, mainly due to the amazing difference in directionality and sound quality compared to before.

“The best part is that I'm also hearing things that I've never heard before, which I didn't expect, since I've always worn the best instruments and thought things were as good as they could be already.

“It's amazing how these little aids affect my life now. As an experienced hearing aid wearer, one of the most remarkable things is that I've got on with them so well – normally I have trouble adjusting to new hearing aids. Because my Minds are much easier and much more comfortable to wear and to listen to than any other hearing aid I've experienced, it's been no trouble."

Racing legend Sir Stirling Moss also wears Widex hearing aids. He said: “I began to notice my hearing loss when I was in a crowded place. I began to find it frustrating trying to hear at social functions so I decided to seek help. Most racing drivers of my generation have bad hearing. Nowadays, racing drivers have full helmets with hearing protection, but when I first started, the drivers only wore cloth caps.

“My wife thinks I get more pleasure out of social situations using hearing aids. She said I used to get bored and my eyes would glaze over. Now I wear the hearing aids if I go to a restaurant or if I'm doing any PR work. They are a great help in these situations."

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