Helping you to hear, right here

Tim Rayner Audiology is celebrating 10 years of providing services to the Wimmera. Its private clinic has been based at Wimmera Health Care Group and in November 2017, the business opened a new clinic at 28 Dooen Road, Horsham. Over the past six months Tim Rayner Audiology has been renovating and transforming a 1950s four bedroom home into a hearing clinic and staff accommodation quarters. All five audiologists will be working from this facility at various times. In the past six months the business has introduced a new range of hearing aids for both Danish Widex and Swiss Phonak brands. Being an independent, family-run business means they are not controlled by any particular manufacturer of hearing aids and can pick freely from any hearing aid that is available in Australia. None of Tim Rayner’s audiologists or staff members receives any financial incentive or commission for services or products provided for patients within the clinic. Tim Rayner Audiology was established initially by Tim himself in 1990 as a private practice based in Warrnambool. For well over 25 years it has been providing services to the greater Hamilton region and now, as the clinic has continued to successfully grow, in the Wimmera for the past 10 years. “We now have well over 500 hearing aid patients in the Wimmera region,” Tim said. “Within the new facility, not only is there an upgraded consulting room, but a state of the art testing facility and a procedure room for higher level of wax and ear health management.” Over the last 18 months, Tim Rayner has been involved in the Widex Unique hearing-aid study where 20 clinics around the world in 10 different countries were selected to be the first to provide such hearing aids to their patients. The study also reflected on the performance of these patients and their feelings about the hearing aids. This particular study gave Tim and his staff an excellent insight into what patients require from their hearing aids. New-age hearing aids have data logging, a system that enables them to track hearing aid performance with patients, their ability to change the hearing aids in terms of volume and also sound qualities. One of the biggest changes in hearing aids was not necessarily when they went digital in 2000, but more so when hearing aids became more wireless compatible. This has enabled an ability to connect mobile phones and televisions directly into hearing aids, either with wireless or Bluetooth technology. Tim’s team also understands the important nature of a family therapy model where the hearing loss is not only just the patient’s, but also a challenge for the extended family. They work with the entire family to make sure that people understand the impact of any hearing loss that patients have and also the best methods to help that person cope. It is important to note that Tim Rayner and his staff will still continue to provide free hearing care clinics through Wimmera Health Care Group via referral from a general practitioner. This is especially important for their work with the paediatric population of the Wimmera. This new development is exciting for Tim Rayner Audiology and staff look forward to improving their quality of care for all patients. The investment also signals a long-term commitment to the region. “We will provide the highest possible quality of care for patients whether they be private patients, or public patients through the Pensioner-dva Hearing Aid Scheme,” Tim said. “Early in the New Year there will be a grand opening for the building and facilities and we look forward to not only welcoming our current patients but also new patients.” For further details and appointments, people can call 5560 5833. It is definitely a bright future that Tim Rayner Audiology sees for its service provision, one of continual improvement, not only in products, but also the required skills and care for its patients.