Ahead of Your Appointment
Important Information Ahead of Your First
Appointment at Duncan Hearing Healthcare
Your detailed walkthrough of what to expect, who you will meet,
common FAQ’s and whether we’re the right fit for each other
How to Find Us and Where to Go
Fall River
Centerville
Dartmouth
Falmouth
Frequently Asked Questions Ahead of Your First Appointment
What is The Typical Investment for Hearing Aids?
An investment means more than how much money you spend. It involves time and effort and that is particularly important to keep in mind.
You could spend less or more, but the critical factors of your success include how they are programmed to fit your individual needs by one of our audiologists and how you ultimately use the hearing aids.
First, the choice of hearing aids needed depends mostly on your level of hearing loss. Everyone’s hearing loss is like their own fingerprint. Hearing aids are designed to mimic your best hearing in the best circumstances.
For example, if you have a profound hearing loss and live an active lifestyle, then you will likely need a higher level of technology than if you have a mild hearing loss and want some help to hear the television better.
The next step will be to comprehensively assess your hearing, understand what your lifestyle looks like and learn what’s important to you – we’ll then be able to make a professional recommendation based on your needs.
Finally, once the best hearing aids are chosen, our audiologists will work with you to ensure that everything goes smoothly. And that involves commitment on your part too.
The options vary from as little as $799 for over-the-counter technology, through to $8950 for prescription hearing aids and long-term care pans.
How Long Do Hearing Aids Last?
Although it naturally depends on how well they’re cared for, they can typically last between 4 to 7 years before they start to show signs of decline. Think of your hearing aids like how long you typically keep an automobile. After a few years, there is wear and tear and new technology comes out.
With that said, some patients have technology that is 10+ years old and still going strong although expecting to invest into new technology every 5 years is a realistic expectation.
Can I Bring Somebody With Me to the Appointment?
Yes, it’s recommended that you bring a loved one along.
From our experience, it’s the people around you that often have the most challenges with your hearing loss and it’s important that they’re part of the journey. Loved ones contribute to the investment as well in their own time and effort.
How Long Will the Appointment Last?
Your first appointment will last around 60 minutes as we comprehensively test your hearing and overall hearing health.
What Happens in a Hearing Test?
Your consultation will begin with a thorough rundown of our processes, so you will know exactly what to expect at each step along the way. Our compassionate, professional team member will have an in-depth conversation about your hearing loss concerns, a review of your medical history and family history, medications you take, and your lifestyle and treatment goals you hope to achieve. Your consultation provides both of us with a common starting point, establishing honest communication and confidence before we set out on the journey to better hearing health together.
Following your consultation, we will move on to further evaluation. Our initial tests will establish a baseline against which we will assess your progress and the effectiveness of treatment, regardless of the intervention options we pursue.
Your hearing assessment might include any or all of the following:
- Physical Observation with an Otoscope
- Pure-Tone Preliminary Screening (includes transmitting different tones and frequencies through headphones)
- Speech Testing (an assessment of your speech reception threshold)
- Speech in Noise Testing (Quicksin)
- Tympanometry Testing (assesses fluid on the ear, perforated eardrum, or wax build-up using a puff of air)
- Acoustic Reflex Tests (evaluates how a tiny muscle in the middle ear reacts to sounds)
- Our initial evaluations provide us with the information we need to diagnose your hearing capacity. As part of Duncan’s commitment to educating our patients, we will walk you through all of the data and explain what each item means.
We will walk with you through any required decision-making processes, allowing you to have a voice in choosing the treatment option and hearing devices to suit your unique circumstances. We’ll present all of the options to you and will be there to answer any questions and discuss any concerns that you may have.
You’re welcome to speak to your loved ones and schedule a second appointment. At your second appointment, we’ll go through your treatment plan and get things moving as quickly as possible to get you back to better hearing health.
Further Questions?
Would you like to speak to one of our hearing care professionals to ask your questions, share your concerns, or share your challenges?
Then simply complete this form and we’ll call you back shortly for a friendly no-obligation conversation.
Don’t want to wait? Then why not call us at your nearest office
Whether it is a friendship or a relationship, all bonds are
built on trust. Without it, you have nothing.
Dream Patients: The Type of People That We Love Working With
Having cared for the hearing health of tens of thousands of local people, we have learned a lot about who we enjoy working with and who is not the right fit for our services.
With us truly valuing each other’s time, it’s important that we ensure that we’re the right fit for each other and share the same values before progressing with what will be a long-term relationship.
That’s why we have developed this document to outline what an ideal patient looks like to ensure we’re the right match for each other.
It’s important that you read this document to ensure that this feels like the perfect relationship.
Kindness
The reason that we love what we do is because we love making a meaningful difference to incredible people’s lives.
We often turn patients into friends, and we find that the patients that we have the greatest relationships with fundamentally share this core value.
Commitment
Achieving better hearing requires work. To ensure that you achieve better hearing for life, it means that we’ll have to work together.
There may be some tough times, and some good times, but it’s important that we’ll always be on the same team, and you understand that this is a journey rather than a destination.
Fun
Although we’re all here for a rather serious reason, it’s important to have fun. The patients that we love working with are fun to be around and share our core value that we may as well have fun along the process.
If you feel these 3 values represent who you are, then we may just be the perfect match.
Alternatively, if you read this and discovered that it’s not the right relationship to progress with, then there are no hard feelings if you decide that we’re not the right fit for each other.
Meet Others Who Have Optimized Their Hearing Health
Frank S.
"To anyone concerned about their hearing, I’d say run, don’t walk. The staff is truly amazing—everyone I’ve had contact with has been very supportive and helpful. When I was fitted, the degree of detail in ensuring the fit and sound quality was, I believe, second to none."
Marilyn D.
"My first impression of Duncan Hearing was that they were professional and very helpful. Since getting hearing aids, I have a better quality of life and can have conversations, knowing what others are saying. To anyone concerned about their hearing, I’d say don’t hesitate."
Richard M.
"After my first hearing test, I found out I had about a 40% hearing loss in my right ear compared to what’s considered normal, while my left ear wasn’t quite as bad. However, I wasn’t ready to buy at the time. Nancy Duncan asked me to test again in 6 months, and I was pleased that there was no push for a sale, showing they cared more about the quality of life hearing aids bring."
Mark C.
"Everyone was kind and helpful and made me feel relaxed, especially Kimberly—she’s the best!! To anyone considering Duncan Hearing, my advice would be to set your appointment ASAP! Your fears will melt away, and your hearing will improve more than you can imagine! Don’t wait years like I did!"
Patricia M.
"My first impressions of Duncan Hearing was great. Since wearing hearing aids, the impact on my life has been unbelievable. To anyone concerned about their hearing, I’d say please go, they are very friendly and understanding! They give you the quality of life that you’re missing."
Esmeralda E. C.
"Now, I can hear when my children speak, and I don’t have to ask again what they say. To anyone concerned about their hearing, I’d say even though you don’t know what’s going on with your hearing, Duncan Hearing Healthcare can help."
Philip P.
"My first impressions were that the staff were friendly, caring, and efficient. Hearing aids have impacted my life extremely positively; I can’t imagine life without them. To anyone concerned about their hearing, I’d say do yourself a huge favor and go get checked out."
Vanesa
"I’m not as nervous to talk to people, and honestly, I’m more outgoing with them. To anyone concerned about their hearing, I’d say it might be nerve-racking now, but in the long run, it will help you out. It’s a good place to go because they are very nice and very patient there."
Expert Articles
Widex Unique: Is It Time to Upgrade Your Hearing Aid?
Widex Moment: Is It Time to Upgrade Your Hearing Aid?
