About Fremantle Hearing Centre

Harmony Hearing & Audiology is an independent local Perth family owned and operated practice.  Our service is personalised to your needs in terms of consultation, hearing tests and hearing aid trials. You can trial basic to premium hearing aids from a range of leading manufacturers to make an informed decision that best meets your needs and budget. Most of our local competitors are owned by one overseas hearing aid manufacturing company. They use a Top down prescriptive model which places little regard toward your lifestyle requirements and budget.

By really listening to you, our Audiologists carefully match the best quality hearing aids to your lifestyle needs and budget. We coach you over a series of appointments in the effective use and management of your hearing aids. This includes practicing putting them on and off correctly, cleaning and maintaining them. We train you in the effective use of any hearing aid accessories such as remote controls and wireless devices that can connect the hearing aids to your mobile and T.V.

Mastering the multiple functions of modern hearing aids takes practice and proper coaching over time. Our progression of appointments really helps you adapt comfortably to maximise the benefits from your hearing aid investment.

Our Team – Staff Introduction

Our team is committed to excellence in hearing health care. We take the time to get to know your unique lifestyle and communication needs. We will work with you to ensure you attain the best hearing care solutions.

As stated in our mission statement, we strive for a balanced approach to both hearing loss prevention as well as rehabilitation. Having come from a Sport Science and Education background, Andrew has always encouraged health preserving practices or preventative medicine. This applies directly to hearing conservation. According the World Health Organisation (WHO) “hearing loss is the world’s most preventable disease.”

Administration: Rachel Rowe

Rachel is our friendly administration assistant and receptionist. She has managed a hair salon and gymnasium in the past.  She is bright, enthusiastic and passionate about the hearing health industry.

  “Growing up I saw my Nan struggle with her hearing loss. She always put it down to loud noise   from working in the factories without ear protection. They were not aware of the repercussions of not wearing ear protection.  Nan has always described her hearing loss as living in a silent world. Nobody should feel alone, isolated, out of touch or helpless. There was a solution. After years of hearing difficulty I saw the great benefits my grandmother attained by seeing an Audiologist who fitted her with quality hearing aids. I am inspired to study in the field myself to help others with their communication goals.”

Audiologist: Andrew Mackendrick

“Our team has a view to improve relationships and quality of life for people who live with hearing loss.

Our mission is to provide the latest hearing technology and personalised caring service to our clients.

We value care, competence and commitment. We are happy to work with you to help improve  your ability to hear and communicate.”

Qualifications:Bachelor of Science (ECU), Graduate Diploma of Education (ECU) & Masters of Audiology (UWA).

After completed his schooling at Scotch College Andrew went on to complete studies in Sport Science, Education and Audiology. He has a passion for both preventative as well as rehabilitative practices in hearing care. His parents work in the hearing health industry with his father being a practicing Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (Otolaryngologist).

With numerous years experience working for state and national companies in providing the Commonwealth hearing services programme, Andrew has helped resolve the hearing and communication problems of a diversity of clients where effective communication is essential for their work and general lifestyle.

Andrew previously worked as an Educational Audiologist at the Western Australian Institute for Deaf Education (WAIDE). The experience of working with deaf and hard of hearing children reinforces the importance for functional speech in noise tests that simulate the learning space environment. Such hearing tests provide meaningful feedback as to how the effectively the child is following speech in the learning environment. They also enable us to monitor how effectively hearing aids or listening skill programs are at improving the individuals ability to follow speech in their typical learning or work environments.

Audiologist: Steven Italiano

Steven Italiano is an Audiologist and a registered Teacher.  He has worked as an Audiologist in community health, tertiary health and education.  His Audiological experience reveals that with the correct use of hearing technology and support, hearing impaired individuals, of all ages and walks in life can improve their academic life, working life, social life, personal life and leisure activities.

“By using technology, in the guise of hearing aids, implants and other assistive hearing devices, the negative aspects of hearing loss can be reduced.  However good technology is though, true success is achieved by the support and knowledge of family, medical and health professionals.

Family support is paramount in a child with hearing loss and this support is just as important in adults with hearing loss as well.  Which is all the more reason why clients should always be accompanied by a very special person at hearing tests and consultations.

A strong support network, coupled with good advocacy skills, strategies and techniques to cope with difficult hearing situations, along with cutting edge hearing technology, are the key performance indicators for success in a Hearing World.”

An Allied Health Care Approach

We develop a professional and courteous relationship with other allied health care professionals including your family doctor. This collaborative method affords us the most appropriate and beneficial approach to your unique hearing health care program. Remaining Independent and locally owned frees us from any single manufacturer and enables us to source the very best of cutting edge technologies to better match your individual needs.

All our local multi-branched competitors are owned by one overseas manufacturer and may purport to offer different options, but inevitably steer you into their own products. Our independence also enables us to offer the very best products at the most competitive prices. We also pride ourselves on offering the most extensive, professional and best value for money aftercare service in the industry. You can rest assured that your hearing health is under the best care available.

Our Audiologists are university qualified with accreditation to provide the governments hearing service program. We specialise in audiological assessments, advanced hearing aid and hearing protective technologies. As a full members of the Audiological Society of Australia (ASA) ongoing professional development ensures our clinicians are up to date with the most recent developments and technologies.

In the Fremantle area and neighbouring suburbs we are the only locally owned independent Audiology practice. We pride ourselves on our unique freedom in being able to provide unbiased advice and guidance without the pressure to adhere to a single manufacturers products and meet high pressured sales quotas. In a climate of intense competition with the local vertically integrated corporate companies we enjoy providing a more personalised, quality and progressive service. Please read as follows some of the major benefits in building a relationship with us on your hearing health care journey.

Advanced Hearing Technologies

It is typical that as we age, hearing loss associated with the aging process, called Presbycusis, occurs. This is usually an inner ear hair cell and nerve related type of hearing loss. We are quite limited medically at this time to remedy this type of hearing loss.

A reduction in the capacity for communication results due to the degradation in hearing acuity. This often results in a breakdown of socialisation and relationships between significant others such as family and friends. It’s not uncommon for people to avoid social settings and become socially isolated. Luckily we have the wonders of modern technology on our side with modern hearing aids being at the pinnacle of technological advancement.

Much of the engineering of hearing aids is geared at speech understanding in difficult listening situations, such as in groups and background noise. Recent developments include the ability of hearing aids to wirelessly work with one another in real time to minimise competing noise, and enable you to focus on speech in a cacophony of background noise. They have also evolved dramatically in terms of comfort, style, discreteness and can also double as telephone and television communication devices.

As we strive to remain at the forefront of this dynamic and rapidly evolving industry, we have also embraced becoming an accredited provider of the remarkable Lyric hearing device. Lyric is the world’s first 100% invisible extended wear hearing device that has the analogy of being the contact lens for the ear. With the ability to use the ear’s natural anatomy to direct sound into the ear canal, its natural sound and ability to be worn 24/7 for months at a time, negating any need for daily management, it is truly a modern wonder that can help us forget we have hearing loss.

 

1. The freedom to select from all of the world’s best hearing aid manufacturers and offer the very best hearing aid solution at substantially discounted prices.

2. We offer in clinic demonstrations of hearing aids in which we program real hearing aids for your hearing. This is so you can experience how they feel, look and sound and decide for yourself if you think they can help you out on a day to day basis. We also provide a 30 day trial period with any hearing aids recommended as wearing them in everyday life is the best way to determine the level of benefit you and those around you are obtaining. That means total peace of mind in that you are entitled to a full refund should you deem that the hearing aids do not provide adequate benefit to warrant the investment.

3. We offer MediCare Rebates and bulk bill if you are referred by your General Practitioner for Allied Health Care services. You are entitled up to five allied health care visits per annum through MediCare. This is a contribution of $51.95 for Audiological services. This will cover the greater proportion of a full diagnostic hearing assessment with take home report and report sent to your referring G.P.

4. Private health insurance rebates in the order of $800 to $1200 are attainable and we are registered with most major private health insurers.

5. We pride our selves in providing the most comprehensive and extensive after care service with your hearing aid investment. You will receive three years of aftercare service with your investment in hearing aids, including ongoing hearing assessments, repairs and maintenance.

6. A years supply of hearing aid batteries with the option of joining the wholesale battery club for subsequent years.

7. As we supply only quality hearing aids you receive a three year warrantee with your investment with the option of extending the warrantee for a fourth year for $140. It should be expected that when you invest in quality hearing aids they should typically provide continuing benefit for at least five to seven years before needing to upgrade or reinvest as the technology evolves. It is not uncommon for people to happily use their hearing aids for up to 10 years or greater without needing a change. They are built to last!

8. You also receive a first full year of comprehensive insurance with any hearing aids we supply. That is if your hearing aid is lost or damaged beyond repair within the first year we replace it 100% in value. This is especially valuable for first time hearing aid users as many modern devices styles can be very small so they fit deep within the ear canal. Such devices can be misplaced especially when good early habits of hearing aid care are being established.

9. We pride our selves on providing courteous, professional and personalised service to you and your family. We are a family focused audiology practice and encourage family members to participate in the hearing rehabilitation process.

10. Using state of the art hearing test equipment and the latest functional speech in noise tests, we are able to more accurately determine your levels of hearing and communication ability both before and after a course of action and hearing aids have been implemented.

11. Our Audiologists are University Qualified health care professionals who are regulated by the Audiological Society of Australia. (ASA)

12. As an Accredited Lyric Partner (ALP), Andrew is able to provide the worlds first 100% invisible, extended wear hearing device “Lyric”. Described as the contact lens for the ears they offer hassle free hearing 24/7.

13. You will consistently have the same Audiologist each visit and a genuine relationship will be formed on your journey to better hearing.